Read my Lips
by purplec305
Summary: Nothing in Life is easy. What was supposed to be an easy task of protecting the boss' daughter, turns out to be a run for their lives as someone tries to kill them. With his demons from the past and her insecurities about being deaf, what happens when the line between Agent and Witness starts to blur? Will they run away or towards each other? Rated M. Edward, Bella.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: SM owns all things Twilight. **

**Thanks to my beautiful beta twilightobsessed522, for her awesome work and who encouraged me to post this. **

**Please remember that this fiction as you read. Thank you.**

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Chapter 1

EPOV

"Cullen!"

My head snapped up from the case report I was writing and saw my boss standing in front of my desk, "Sir?"

"Meet me in my office in 5 minutes."

My brows furrowed, "The Senator case, sir?" My eyes scanned the room and noticed my entire team watching the exchange. They were curious too. Of course they were. Senator Aro Volturi had been accused of embezzling money in a Cayman account and we were all itching to bring him down. He was the kind of man that made this country look bad.

I watched our Section Chief, Charles Swan, fiddle with the files in his hands and his eyes scanned from left to right. I sat up a little straighter in my chair knowing that this was serious, as I'd never seen him act this way before.

His eyes met mine and I thought I saw worry flash in his eyes, "Something like that." His hard, cold exterior was back as he pointed his finger at me, "My office. 5 minutes."

I nodded, "Yes sir. I'll be there."

He turned to leave and saw my team watching us curiously and stopped. He looked towards each agent in the room, then continued walking out with these words, "Back to work. Those bastards don't catch themselves."

As he walked around the corner, I looked to my team whose eyes were all curiously watching me waiting for details. Sitting back down, I said, "You heard the man."

Agent Emmett McCarty groaned, "Dude, come on. What did the Chief want? What had him fidgeting like that?" Yeah, they had noticed that too. We weren't FBI Special Agents for nothing. We noticed stuff like that. We were trained to catch stuff like that. Chief Swan was usually cool as a cucumber, never showing his cards so to speak. But something had him spooked or worried that caused his guard to drop. We were all curious.

I looked from one face to another. Agent McCarty, my sidekick and overall best friend even though he acted like 5 year old most of the time, Agent Jasper Whitlock, calculating and precise, raised a curious eyebrow while sipping his coffee silently. Agent Rosalie Hale, our computer genius who always spoke her thoughts, typed away at her keyboard while keeping an eye on me. And then there was Agent Mike Newton, who had been gunning for my supervisory position since the beginning. Lousy attitude and a cocky bastard to boot. We tolerated him, but no one really liked him. He honestly thought he was gods gift to mankind with his Harvard degree.

My hand went through my hair, a nervous habit I had developed while in university and eyed my team. I looked to McCarty who looked as excited as a kid on Christmas and said, "He didn't say."

He clapped his hands together excitedly, "The Senator case? Is it ours?"

I glared at him, "I don't know. Now get back to work!"

Em looked rightfully scolded, but that didn't stop him. He got up from his chair and walked over to my desk, leaned over and whispered not so quietly, "Come on Ed. What the Chief want?"

Closing the file I had open on my computer, I shuffled my files on my desk together and leaned in close to Em's face, "I. Don't. Know. He didn't say. Just wanted me to come to his office." His smile faded and I continued, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a meeting to get to." With that I left my team behind wondering as to what was happening. 'Join the club' I thought to myself.

Knocking on the Chief's office door, I stuck my head into his office, "Chief?"

Chief Swan looked up from whatever he was doing and waved me in, "Come in Edward. And close the door behind you."

'Edward? Did I hear correctly that he called me Edward? Usually it's Cullen or Agent Cullen, but never Edward.'

Closing the door, I took a seat across from the Chief and waited not so patiently for him to continue.

Closing the files on his desk, he put them aside and folded his hands in front of him on the desk and leaned forward, "You know why I called you in here?"

I nodded, "The Senator case, I presume?"

He shook his head no and took something out of his desk drawer and slid it across the table towards me, "Not exactly. I'm sending you on a special assignment."

My brows furrowed as I took the envelope, "I don't quite understand, sir."

The Chief leaned forward again and fixed his hard gaze on me, "The Mayor of Seattle, Marcus Tortuga, was shot this morning and there was a witness. I need you to go and get her. Off record."

I opened the envelope and saw a plane ticket to Seattle inside, leaving tonight on the red eye. My curiosity peaked, "Me? Why? Can't the Seattle office do it?"

He took a deep breath and continued, "This is important Agent Cullen. Yes, the Seattle office could do it, but I don't trust them like I trust you." He leaned back in his chair and asked, "Is it gonna be a problem, Agent?"

I looked between the plane ticket and my boss with a thousand questions running through my mind. Who was this witness that he wanted me specifically to take care of? Why hadn't this witness come forward before? And more importantly, who was this witness to the Chief that had him acting so strangely?

Taking a deep breath, I shook my head, "No problem, sir. Anything else, sir?"

He fiddled with the files on his desk again as he looked between me and the files, "Yes, one more thing. And this is important." I nodded in acknowledgement and curious as all hell.

"The witness is my daughter, Bella. I'm trusting you to take care of her."

Well, fuck me sideways...

XXXXXX

BPOV

A flash of light.

I watched in horror as Mr. Tortuga fell towards the ground.

Blood. So much blood.

My hand flew to my mouth to cover up the scream that was bubbling to the surface rapidly. It couldn't be. I had to be dreaming. In a panic, I ran outside screaming Marcus' name.

"Mr. Tortuga! Mr. Tortuga!"

Falling to my knees in front him, my hands pressed down on the wound to try and stop the bleeding. Looking into his eyes, I saw the life slowly fade out of his eyes.

His hand grasped mine that was pressing down on his wound and my eyes flew to his face. With tears in my eyes, he sputtered, "My book. Office..." Blood spit out of his mouth as he coughed.

My eyes flew to his security guard and saw him talking to 911 on the phone while pacing back and forth. Pressing down harder on his wound, I said, "Help is on its way. Save your strength. Please."

Smiling weakly, his hand squeezed mine softly and his eyes slid shut, exhaling one last time.

Screaming, I sat up in my bed, covered in sweat and tears running down my face. Gasping for breath and my heart hammering in my chest, I knew that my nightmare was very much still reality. My boss, Mayor Marcus Tortuga, had been murdered yesterday afternoon. In front of my eyes. As the emergency crew had arrived along with the entire calvary, I had managed to call my dad without anyone being the wiser. Explaining the whole situation to my dad, the FBI agent, went over better then I thought. He was worried and told me to stay inside the rest of the day and that he was sending someone he trusted to come get me. He would be bringing me to D.C while the investigation went on. His concern was that whoever had done the deed could find out that there was a witness, namely me, and that they would come back for me. Shaking in my boots, I promised him that I'd be careful and stay inside until his appointed agent would come get me.

I had worked for Mr. Tortuga for 3 years and we had become friends. He was like a father figure since my dad was in Washington D.C and I was in Washington, the state. An entire country was between us and I had welcomed the father figure Mr. Tortuga had been to me. After graduating from U of W, it had been a challenge to find work. For the first few years, I had a menial job consisting of putting numbers into a computer for a small advertising firm. I had basically no contact with my coworkers. But thank god for roommates. My roommate and best friend at the time, Angela Weber, had heard from her boyfriend, Ben Cheney, an employer of Mr. Tortuga, that Tortuga was looking for a personal assistant. Without much begging, Ben had talked to Marcus and had secured me an interview. I had told Ben that he should inform Marcus of my disability and if he didn't like it, I didn't want an interview. A few days later, coming home after an exhausting day of trying to find work, Ben and Angela had greeted me excitedly at the door and told me that Mr. Tortuga was anxious to meet me. The rest, one could say, was history. The work was challenging and tiring most days, but I loved it. Currently, I had been working with Marcus to prepare him for the election to Congress. He was single, always claimed that he didn't have time for a relationship, that his work was his marriage. He had a great mind and knew what this city needed. Of course someone didn't think so.

On shaky legs, I went to take a shower. A look to my alarm clock told me that it was 6 am and dad's special agent person would be here around 8 am. Last night on the phone, he had given me the name of the agent that was coming. I was supposed to look for an Agent Cullen. I wondered what he would look like. As I showered, questions like that ran through my head.

Once dressed in yoga pants and a t-shirt, I went into the kitchen to make myself some breakfast. Not that I was hungry, but I knew I needed to eat something. Toast and orange juice would do. As I walked through the hall towards my kitchen, I saw the lights in my living room flicker, indicating to me that there was someone at the door. Looking at the clock on my stove, I noticed it was 7.38 and wondered who could be at the door this time.

My heart beat hastily in my chest as I took deliberate steps towards my door. Looking through the peephole, I saw a man standing there with auburn hair, looking like he had run his hand through it a million times. He looked down the hall both ways. A black t-shirt, blue faded jeans and a black leather jacket. From what I could tell through the peephole, he was a good looking man.

Taking a deep breath, I asked, "Who is it?"

Mystery man's head snapped towards my door and I saw him say something, but couldn't quite make it out.

"Can you show me an ID, please?"

The man's brows furrowed, but he reached into his back pocket and lifted his FBI badge towards the peephole. Satisfied, I unlocked my three locks on the door and opened it, stepping aside to let him in.

Agent Cullen stepped forward into my apartment, looking at me from head to toe, then asked, "Miss Swan?"

I nodded and he stepped in further into my apartment.

Closing the door and locking it behind him, I turned to him. His back was turned to me, but it looked like he was speaking.

"I'm sorry. What was that?"

He turned and looked at me with a furrow between his brows, "You know how long I've been standing there?" I shook my head no, keeping my eyes on him.

"About 5 minutes. Didn't you hear the doorbell?"

Wringing my hands together, I surmised that he didn't know, "No I did not. I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

Running his long fingers through his hair, he asked, "Why not? This isn't a big place." He gestured to my apartment.

Fidgeting under his piercing green eyes, I said, "I was in the shower."

He looked at me for a little while, his fingers gripping at his hair and blinking slowly. We stood there staring at each other for what seemed like hours, but couldn't have been more then a few seconds. My hand twitched at my side to soothe out the wrinkle forming between his eyes and running my fingers through his hair in soothing motions. What was happening to me? I never reacted to a male like this before. Sure, he was good looking with his auburn hair and sexy green eyes, framed with long dark lashes. He looked to be a few years older than me, but the way his t-shirt was hugging his torso, I could tell he worked out. Well defined muscles were hidden under his shirt.

Not wanting to get caught staring at him like this, my face flushed slightly, and I snapped my eyes back to his face and caught him saying, "Un-fucking-believable!"

My brows furrowed, wondering if he said it out loud, "What is?"

His eyebrows shot up in surprise, "You heard that?"

I felt the heat rise in my cheeks and I looked down to my fidgeting hands for a brief second before I looked back at him, "Not exactly."

Agent Cullen's head cocked to the side as he was assessing me, "What do you mean 'not exactly'?"

Crossing my arms over my chest in a defensive manner, I said, "I saw you say it."

Even more surprised, he asked, "What?"

"I'm deaf, Agent."

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**A/N: If you like please review. Thanks for reading. :):)**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: SM owns all things Twilight. **

**Thanks to my beautiful beta twilightobsessed522 for all that you do. Without you, I'd be lost. Also a special thank you goes to twimom1960 for pre-reading. Your enthusiasm and comments crack me up. Thank you. **

**Also, thank you to my readers, specifically to the ones that take their time to review. You're the best. **

**Please remember that this is fiction as you read.**

* * *

Chapter 2

EPOV

What did she just say? Deaf? But she speaks. How is that possible?

My mind went into a frenzy with questions as I stood there gaping at her. How? What? My mind went back to my conversation with the Chief. He had said something about her being special and that I was supposed to treat her with respect. I had agreed with him not thinking much of it, thinking he had said it because it was his daughter. Now, I knew differently.

Shaking my head at my own stupidity, I watched her brows furrow as she said something.

"What?"

Her mouth quirked up in a small grin, she asked, "You want something to eat? Like, breakfast?"

Absentmindedly, I nodded and said, "Yeah, sure. I'll just have whatever you're having."

Her brows furrowed as she walked past me, probably because I was still standing there staring at her trying to figure her out. Her voice. It sounded different. Breathy and a different level of sexy. It suited her. Reminding myself that she was the Chief's daughter and a witness to a horrific crime, I followed her into the kitchen where she stood over her stove, cooking up something that smelled delicious.

As I stood there staring at her, I tried to figure out how she learned how to speak while being deaf. It wasn't like I had never encountered deaf people before, but so far, she was the first that could speak and read lips, I presumed. How did she learn? Where did she learn? And the biggest question still remained, why? Standing in the doorway to her kitchen, I observed her working. Quietly, she hummed to herself, terribly off key, but she probably didn't know that. After flipping what seemed to be French Toast in the pan, she set the table for two.

My eyes wandered down her body. Long chestnut, wavy hair caressed down her shoulders to the middle of her back. A narrow waist gave way to flaring curvy hips that hugged a beautiful bottom clad in skin tight yoga pants. My eyes lingered longer at the squeezable butt longer than what they should have. Those pants should be made illegal when it came to her. Or made more of, so she could wear them every day. I couldn't decide. Then, there were her long legs. Well, long for her. She barely reached me to my shoulders. Combined with that ass, my mind conjured up images of her wrapped around me as I caressed her creamy skin.

Squeezing my eyes shut, I chastised myself. This isn't good. She's the Chief's daughter. I'm here to do my job, not get sidetracked by such a beautiful creature that would look great wrapped around me. Shaking my head 'no', I groaned out loud. I was glad she couldn't hear me and had her back turned towards me. Trying to get my mind off of her beautiful form, I thought of my task at hand, my training at Quantico, and Sniper school. That helped once I calculated wind speeds, distance, and what kind of rifle to use for certain targets.

All of a sudden she said, "Ask."

My eyebrows raised as she turned to me with a blank, bored expression on her face, "I'm sorry?"

She crossed her arms over her ample chest, which I presumed was a defense macinism, and said in a monotone voice, "You wanna ask, so just do it." She motioned for me to take a seat at the table. She brought over the French Toast and coffee, and then took a seat across from me, watching me the entire time and waited for an answer.

I knew what she was referring to, and yes, I did want to ask, but I decided to take a different approach. Cutting a piece off the toast, I looked at her and asked, "What kind of work did you do for the mayor?"

Her eyes widened slightly, probably surprised at my choice of question, but she recovered quickly. I figured, if I got her to hate me, then I wouldn't be so tempted by her. Good plan, I thought to myself.

As she opened her mouth to answer, her phone started vibrating on the table. On instinct, I let my fork drop back to the plate and reached for my gun I had strapped behind my back. Why does she have a phone if she can't hear the other person?

Her wide eyes met mine before she hesitantly reached for the phone.

XXXXXX

BPOV

The entire time I was preparing breakfast, I could feel him staring at the back of my head. I could almost hear him think, if that were possible. Sooner or later, he'd ask. I knew he would. Everyone always did. 'How can you speak when you're deaf?' I have heard that question so often in my life, the answer was almost automatic. Nowaday's, it didn't bother me so much anymore. I had come to accept the fact that I was deaf. Some days it was hard and some days, I loved the quiet. It helped me think and sort through my thoughts. And then there were days like today, where I wished I could hear Agent Handsome's voice. I bet it's smooth and sexy.

Flipping the French Toast, I thought, 'I wonder if he likes French Toast. I didn't even ask. Oh God.'

My naughtier side responded, 'Dear God, Bella. That's the least of your worries. You've got a fucking sexy, lickable man, standing in your kitchen and your concern is if he likes French Toast? You should be concerned if he's single or not?

Groaning to myself at my inner debate, I concentrated on the task at hand. There's no way such a good looking man is single. He'd had to have a girlfriend or wife somewhere.

My inner slut responded, 'I didn't see a ring.'

Rational me, clapped her hand over her eyes and groaned, 'That doesn't mean anything in today's world.'

Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I decided to forgo the awkward question and give him an in. He acted surprised when I told him to ask, but that's all it was. Acting. I could see the curiosity in his piercing green eyes.

'Oh God. Those eyes. So sexy. So beautiful. I could stare at them for hours.' Oh boy, how was I supposed to survive like this? I would have to find a way to shut my brain off.

Agent Yummy surprised me though, by asking what my job was for Mr. Tortuga. I knew how this goes. My father, Chief Swan, had always been a cop, so I knew how these things went. Before I could answer, my phone lit up beside my plate. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Agent Sexy drop his fork onto his plate and reach behind him, probably for his gun. No surprise to me.

Looking down on the screen, I saw the name of my favorite person, Alice. My best friend and sister. She was the only one who didn't judge me based on my disability. She was always the one to defend me in school when things got out of hand.

Holding up my phone to Agent Handsome, I said, "Relax. It's just my sister. She's probably calling to see if I'm ok." His brows furrowed annoyingly, but his posture relaxed somewhat.

"Hi, Alice," I answered the phone. Agent Yummy's eyes looked between me and the phone, and I saw the question in them. How's that possible? She's deaf, but can talk on the phone? I decided to explain later.

Looking down at the screen, I saw Alice's response, " Oh my god, Bella. I just saw the news. Are you alright? Do you want me to come to Seattle? Are you hurt? Did you talk to dad?"

Everyone meet my sister, Alice. She talks nonstop. How she does it, is beyond me. You'd think she'd need to breathe every now and then.

"Alice, calm down, will ya?"

I could literally see her annoyed huff, accompanied by her 'bitch please' brow, "That's not funny, Bella. You could have been hurt."

I sighed, "I know, Ali. I'm sorry. Yes, I'm ok. No, I'm not hurt. Yes, I did talk to dad." Evasive answers. I hoped they would appease her, but this is Alice. She catches it.

She didn't respond right away, but then more questions popped up on the screen, "What did dad say? What are you gonna do? Are you sure you're alright?"

The truth, it is. "Yes, Ali, I'm fine. Don't worry so much. Dad sent someone to pick me up and bring me to DC, so he can keep an eye on me, or so he says. He wants me to be safe in case those people are still out there looking for me." It all came out in a rush. Agent Sexy's eyebrows were slightly raised as he nursed his coffee. I should have taken the call in my bedroom. Oh well, too late now.

The cursor blinked on the screen and then, "OMG Bella. Is he there now? Is it a he? Is he cute? Single? What does he look like?"

Feeling the tell tale blush rise on my cheeks, I excused myself from the table and quickly went into the hallway, away from those curious green eyes, "Yes to all of them. Except the single question? I don't know. Don't make a big deal out of this Ali, ok?"

Of course she hadn't heard that part, "Oh Bells, this is so exciting. I bet he's gorgeous." You have no idea, I thought to myself. She continued, "Can you take a picture and send it to me? Pretty please." I could see her excited face in front of my eyes. God, I missed her.

I huffed and squeezed my eyes shut, "No promises. And don't hope too much." She was always hopeful when it came to me and guys. She was always confident that I would meet someone. She didn't see the distaste on a man's face when I told them I was deaf. Agent Yummy was the first one who had seemed surprised, I mean all of them were, but he was different somehow. More curious than disgusted. He was definitely more accepting than most had been. Maybe he was that good of an actor. A well trained agent. Yeah, that would probably be it. Well trained.

Alice's response blinked on the screen, "I hope for you, because you won't. Someone has to." She was right, of course. Over the last few years, I had emerged myself in work and hadn't bothered with men. Throughout my university years, I had tried but it always ended having my hopes crushed. It just wasn't worth it.

I sighed, "Thanks, Ali. And I love you for it. I'm gonna try. I gotta go. I'm sure he'll want to leave soon, and I still have to pack. Say 'hi' to Jas, and I hope to see you guys soon. Love you, Ali-cat."

"Love you too. Be safe, ok? See you soon."

Ending the call with a smile on my face, I walked back to the table, my eyes meeting Agent Handsome's curious ones. Sitting down, I explained, "It's a phone that is specially designed for deaf people. It vibrates louder, instead of ringing, and it writes what the other person says."

He smiled crookedly, "Am I that obvious?"

I laughed, "Yeah, for an agent, you're quite obvious. Plus, people are just curious. No big deal."

His head tilted back in a laugh and I wondered what it sounded like. A rich, masculine tone? Sexy and husky?

His eyes met mine, the awkward tension gone, and smiled sheepishly, "Thanks for pointing that out." He looked down at my plate and his brow furrowed again, "We need to leave soon. Your father wants you in D.C. as soon as possible."

Nodding in understanding, I went back to eating my now cold French Toast. As I was taking a sip from my coffee, Agent Sexy's eyes met mine in horror, and he motioned with his finger for me to keep quiet. My heart beat frantically in my chest as fear crept up my spine.

Standing up from his chair, he took his gun and said, "Someone's at the door. Were you expecting someone?"

I shook my head 'no' as he slowly crept towards the hallway, his gun positioned in front of him. Had they found me? Had they seen me yesterday? Frozen with fear, I watched Agent Cullen's face.

"Wait here," He said, before disappearing down the hall.

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**A/N: If you like, please review. Good or bad, I like 'em all. **

**Stay tuned for the next chapter. **


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: SM owns all things Twilight.**

**Thanks to my beautiful beta twilightobsessed522 for all that you do. Without you, I'd be lost. Also a special thank you goes to twimom1960 for pre-reading. Your enthusiasm and comments crack me up. Thank you.**

**Also, thank you to my readers, specifically to the ones that take their time to review, favorite and follow my story. You're the best.**

**You blew me away with your response to the last chapter, and as a thank you, I'm posting this chapter a day earlier then promised. Enjoy my lovelies. **

**Please remember that this is fiction as you read.**

* * *

Chapter 3

EPOV

My heart hammered in my chest as I crept down the hall towards the door with my gun poised in front of me. Who the fuck could this be? I knew we should have left as soon as I got here, but I let myself be blinded by her beauty. I should have listened to the warning bells going off in my head. Too late now. I just hoped she heeded my warning when I told her to stay in the kitchen.

Looking through the peephole, I saw a man with long blonde hair standing there, looking intently at the door. "Who is it?" I asked while looking at him.

His eyes narrowed for mini second before he answered, "Detective Lance. We have some questions for Ms. Swan."

Sounded legit enough, but I wanted proof, "Can you show me your badge?"

A sinister smile crossed his face and he held up a Seattle PD badge up to the peephole. Everything looked legit until I came across the badge number. I knew for a fact that detective badge numbers started with a 2 or a 3, not with a 0. This was a fake. He was here to finish the job and get rid of witnesses.

"Hold on a sec. I'll go get her." Spinning on my heel, I ran back to the kitchen, but before I got there, the apartment door was kicked down and I heard the shot ring out. Stumbling forward, I braced against the kitchen wall, feeling the sting of where the bullet had grazed my right upper arm, tearing my favorite leather jacket. Fuck, that hurt every time. Looking to Bella, I screamed at her, "Run! For fuck's sake, run!"

Her tear filled eyes looked to mine and then traveled down to the blood I knew was pouring down my arm. Hoisting myself up, I grabbed her arm and shoved her down the hall towards the patio doors I had seen earlier. She got the idea and ran. 'Detective Lance' or whoever he was, saw her and aimed the gun at her, while at the same time, I aimed mine at him. Pulling the trigger, I felt the jolt of the gun in my arm as the bullet left the chamber and proceeded to hit him in the shoulder. He jerked backwards and fired in Bella's direction. As he fell towards the floor, I heard her scream.

Spinning on my heel, I saw her doubled over by the patio doors, screaming and clutching her arm. Turning back once more, I saw the creep rise into a sitting position with his gun aimed at Bella again. No fucking way, amigo. Not on my watch. Aiming my gun once more, I shot his other shoulder. He yelled and fell backwards again, his gun clattering out of his hand.

Looking back to Bella, I saw that she had crawled through the patio door and was leaning against the wall, still clutching her bloody arm and trying to stifle her sobs. Walking over to the creep, I kicked his gun away from him and aimed mine at his chest. "Who are you? And who sent you?"

That sinister smile crossed his face again and he laughed, "I'm Detective Lance, like I told you. I'm here to question Ms. Swan."

Pressing my boot to his left shoulder wound, he screamed in pain. "I'll ask you once more. Who are you? And who sent you?"

"My partner will be here soon." My eyes met his at the fact that he hadn't come alone. He laughed, "You honestly didn't think I'd come here alone, did you? We knew you were here, Agent Cullen."

His laugh filled my ears as I ran through all of the people that knew I was here. The Chief, Bella, and myself. Could one of them have squealed? The Chief? No, I had worked with him for 4 years. He was a good and honest man. This was his daughter, for fuck's sake. No way, not him. I hadn't even told my team where I was going, but knowing them, they would have tracked my cell by now already. Bella? I highly doubted that. She was a scared woman who had seen her boss get shot. According to records, she had worked for him quite a while already. Plus, she just didn't seem like she hated her boss. And I don't think they would have bothered with trying to kill her if she was one of them. There was a rat somewhere, and I wasn't going anywhere until I knew who it was.

Realizing I didn't have a lot of time before his partner showed up, I hit him over the head with my gun, causing him to lose consciousness. Quickly holstering my gun and taking a picture of his face and the serial number of his gun, I ran into the kitchen, grabbed Bella's phone and wallet off the counter, and ran out the patio doors. Crouching down in front of her, I cradled her face in my hands causing her to look at me. Her tear filled eyes met mine before she looked to my mouth, "We gotta go. I have to get you out of here."

She nodded, her lips trembling as she clutched her left arm. Gently taking her hand off her wound, I lifted the sleeve of her shirt to assess the damage. She screamed in pain, her tears starting anew, and tightly grabbed my hand that was holding her shirt, "Ow, it hurts so much," she whimpered. It appeared that the bullet had torn through her upper arm a couple of inches above her elbow, leaving a nasty gash. It appeared she was going to need a couple of stitches.

Squeezing her hand, I tried to reassure her, "I know. Believe me, I know. But we need to get out of here. As in now." Grabbing the knife from my boot, I cut a strip off her gigantic t-shirt and began to tie it around her arm. She whimpered and screamed a few times in pain, but it was over quickly.

Sliding my arm around her waist, I helped her stand up. Her legs wobbled a little and her tiny hand fisted in my shirt by my shoulder. Biting my tongue as a jolt of pain shot down my injured arm, I held her firmly against my chest. For a second, I reveled in the fact that she fit so nicely against me. Wait, did her breath just hitch? Fuck, I needed to focus. What is this woman doing to me?

Taking a deep breath to clear my head, I stepped back. But not before noticing that her hair smelled like lavender and coconut. It was so delicious and sexy. Something must be seriously wrong with me. I'd never thought of shampoo as sexy before, if that was in fact, her shampoo I was smelling.

'Ok, Cullen. You need to snap out of it. This woman in your arms, is the Chief's daughter. That means no touching. This is just like any other assignment. Pull your head out of your fucking ass and focus.'

Squeezing my eyes shut for a second to regroup myself, I looked at Bella's tear stained face, "Are you okay to walk?" She nodded.

Grabbing her good hand in mine, I pulled her behind me as we exited through the gates behind the building, into the alley. I was glad I had surveyed the place beforehand, and had decided to park the rental here. Quickly putting her into the car and buckling her seat belt, I ran to the driver's side. As I drove out from the alley onto the street, I saw the creep's partner run across the street to his SUV. We had been spotted. Fuck!

Yanking my phone out of my pocket, I dialed the familiar number. She picked up on the first ring, "Edward? Where the hell are you?"

Looking in the mirror at the SUV behind us, I demanded, "Rose, there's no time for that. I need a favor. Off record." I took a left turn quickly as the light changed to red. Maybe that'll slow him down.

Hearing shuffling in the background, she responded, "Sure thing, Boss. What do you need?"

That's what I loved about her. No questions asked. "Run a Washington plate for me. D90764KS. Also, I'm gonna send you a couple of pictures. You'll know what to do." Looking over at Bella, I noticed she was sitting stock still while staring out the window. She was in shock.

"No problem, Boss. Off record?"

"Yes. There's a mole..." I took a quick turn to the right.

She didn't let me finish before she spoke, "Say no more. Off record, it is." She paused, "Edward?"

"Yeah?" Looking in the mirror again, I saw the SUV take a turn about a block behind me. I was getting closer to losing him.

"Whatever you're doing or wherever you are, be careful."

Taking a deep breath, I looked over at Bella again. Careful. Right. Was I being careful? My judgment had been clouded by her already. "Thanks, Rose. I will. Let me know once you have the details."

After hanging up and quickly sending the pictures, I looked into the mirror and saw that the SUV was now 2 blocks behind me. Deciding quickly, I turned the vehicle right into a short alley and then made a left turn onto a busy street again. At the next light, I turned right again, and then another left into yet another alley. Stopping the car, I looked in the mirror for a good minute, hoping I had lost him now. When he didn't show, I turned to Bella. The same blank stare was still on her face as she stared out the window.

Gently taking her chin in my hand, I turned her towards me, waiting until her eyes met mine. Once they traveled to my lips, I spoke. "Bella? Are you alright?" Absentmindely, I stroked her cheeks with my thumb, collecting the tears that ran down her cheeks again as I spoke her name.

Her lips trembled and her breath hitched a few times before she quietly asked, "Did you kill him?"

My hand stilled on her cheek at the fear in her voice.

XXXXXX

BPOV

I looked. I knew I shouldn't have, but I did anyway.

As Agent Cullen dragged me through the backyard into the alley behind my apartment building, I chanced a glance into my apartment. He was just lying there. Bleeding. Not moving. Was he dead? Did Agent Cullen kill him? I knew they exchanged gun fire. I saw it. I felt it, as the bullet tore through my arm. I had never felt pain like that before. My arm still throbbed, but the pain had lessened a little. The makeshift bandage Agent Cullen had wrapped around my arm, seemed to have stopped the bleeding somewhat.

His big hand felt so soft and comforting against my cheek. I wanted to curl up against it and sleep away this nightmare. But I knew that wasn't the reality. With the image of the unmoving man in my mind, I asked what I wanted to know, "Did you kill him?"

His hand stilled on my cheek and I almost regretted asking the question. Almost. For a brief moment, fear, pain, and regret, all flashed in his eyes before it was replaced with a nonchalant facade. He had practiced that look for quite some time it seemed. What was behind that mask?

His hand that was on my face, took my hand, and squeezed it reassuringly, "No. I did not kill him." His eyes took on a hard stare as he stared past me, "Even though I should have."

I wasn't sure what to say, so I just stared at him. He had saved me. If he hadn't done what he did, I may not be alive right now. "Thank you," I said, hoping it was enough.

His eyes snapped to mine, surprised. For a brief moment, he just stared at me. Studying my face, my emotions, anything.

Nodding once, he put the car back into gear and drove us around for quite some time. Not paying attention to the time or location, he stopped in front of a small bed and breakfast outside the city, nestled into the woods. Looking around, I asked, "Where are we?"

Grabbing a duffel bag from the backseat, Agent Cullen turned to me, "We need to lay low for a little while." Grabbing a t-shirt from his bag, he handed it to me, "Here, put this on. It should be big enough."

Confused by his behavior, I did as he asked and slipped the shirt over my head. It covered the wound on my arm nicely. That made sense. I couldn't help myself and inhaled the intoxicating scent that lingered on his shirt. Spicy musk and very masculine. I loved it. It suited him.

Opening my door for me, he helped me out and said, "Put your injured arm around me through my jacket. We don't want to draw any unnecessary attention." Not quite following his thinking, I did as he asked, and tried not to get carried away at how the muscles of his back twitched beneath my fingertips. His arm drew around my shoulders and he pulled me close. God, this is heaven. He smells amazing. Trying not to moan at the closeness, I walked beside him into the Bed and Breakfast.

An elderly woman with graying hair, stood at the counter and greeted us with a friendly smile, "Hello, dears. How can I help you today?"

Turning to watch Agent Cullen's response, he said with a charming smile on his face, "Hello. We're newlyweds. We have been driving for hours and we need a place to stay for a day or two." His eyes met mine, soft and kind, begging me to play along.

Sexy Agent say what? Newlyweds?

Please don't blush. Please don't blush.

Smiling sweetly at him, I turned back to the woman, who had a smile on her face so big, it looked like it would split her face in two, "Oh, of course. I love to get newlyweds here. It reminds me of my late husband." She looked down onto the counter, lifting her glasses onto her nose and said, "We have the Honeymoon suite, the Love Forever suite, and the Cupid suite. Which one would you like?"

I looked to Agent Handsome whose smoldering eyes were on me as he said, "You pick, sweetheart."

My heart raced in my chest at this beautiful man calling me such an endearing name.

Turning back to the woman, whose name tag read 'Thea', and said, "The Honeymoon suite, please. It is our honeymoon afterall." That's right Agent Sexy, two can play this game.

His hand squeezed my shoulder as Thea excitedly took our names down. I couldn't bring myself to look at him, fearing my emotions would be written all over my face. What his touch was doing to me, and my panties. That a single look from him would cause goosebumps to travel down my spine. That his close proximity caused my breath to hitch and my imagination to run wild.

As Thea handed me the key, Edward leaned closer to the counter, "Would you happen to have a First-Aid kit? I cut myself on the trunk latch just now."

My eyes snapped to Thea, "Oh dear. Of course. Wait here. I'll go get it."

We were alone. The air around us crackled and singed with electricity. I could feel his eyes on me the entire time. His breath tickled my ear. I wanted to turn around and kiss his pouty lips. Thankfully, Thea didn't take too long. I let out a breath, I didn't know I had been holding.

Handing the First-Aid kit to me along with the key to our room, she looked to Agent Handsome, "I can dress that for you, if you like." Oh no she didn't. No one touches him, except me. Wait, what? He's not mine. Snap out of it, Bella.

Agent Yummy squeezed my shoulder and I looked at him as he responded, "No, that's ok. My wife will do it. Thank you so much." He smiled that crooked smile at her and she blushed. Did he know he had such an effect on woman? I bet he does.

Walking up the stairs together, he took the First-Aid kit from me, so I could open the door. Stepping inside, I stopped to look around. It was a big room, as big as my living room, kitchen and dining room combined. The king size bed had white bedding on it and was covered in red rose petals. A bottle of champagne was chilling on the coffee table close to the window. Candles were strategically placed all around the room. A love seat sat by the window with a bouquet of red Roses on the side table. My breath caught in my throat at this beautiful sight. I was in love, and this was only the bedroom. I wondered what the adjacent bathroom would look like.

Agent Cullen tapped my shoulder and my head snapped to his as he said, "Let me take a look at your wound." His eyes had taken on a darker hue. So beautiful.

Following him into the bathroom, I stopped once more. I thought I loved the bedroom, but this was better. I wanted to move in here. A gigantic bathtub sat along the far wall with candles all around it. A big counter lined the opposite wall with two sinks and again, with a bouquet of flowers. Tulips this time. I love tulips. Bathrobes hung by the door with comfy looking slippers.

Smiling, I spun around only to catch Agent Cullen smiling at me. I stopped and looked at his amused face. God, I loved his smile.

Motioning for me to take a seat at one of the stools along the counter, he grinned, "I take it you like it?"

I nodded, not trusting my voice, since he stood a few inches in front me. He smiled and nodded, "Good." He stepped forward, his thighs brushing against my own and his darkening eyes on mine, his smile replaced with a look of concentration. I couldn't look away.

"This shirt needs to come off." Never breaking my eyes from his, I reached to the edge of the shirt only to come across his fingers already there. I stilled. He stilled. Our eyes locked. His breath fanned across my face as he leaned closer. Is he going to kiss me? With my heart in my throat, I closed my eyes.

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**A/N: If you like this story, please review. **

**A lot has happened in this chapter. Your thoughts?**

** Stay tuned for Chapter 4...xoxo**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: SM owns all things Twilight.**

**Thanks to my beautiful beta twilightobsessed522 for all that you do. Without you, I'd be lost. Also a special thank you goes to twimom1960 for pre-reading. Your enthusiasm and comments crack me up. Thank you.**

**Also, thank you to my readers, specifically to the ones that take their time to review, favorite and follow my story. You're the best.**

**A major thanks goes to stilldreaming85 for recommending this story on 'Thugward' on FB. Also to Tarbecca for her recommendation on 'A different Forest'. It means the world to me. Thank you so much. Xoxo**

**Please remember that this is fiction as you read.**

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Chapter 4

EPOV

What is this beautiful creature doing to me?

I hadn't even known her a day and already I was consumed by her. Her lavender and coconut scent drew me in and her chocolate eyes comforted me. Her voice was like a balm on my burning skin, and her lips beckoned to me. I was hypnotized. My hand traveled up her right arm, cupping her cheek, silently begging her to open those beautiful eyes. When she did, I drowned in them. This was the sweetest kind of hell I had ever experienced.

Looking into her eyes, I drew closer, breathing her in. She blinked once, her eyes trusting. I couldn't help myself. Everything else forgotten, my lips touched her soft rose petal lips. Once. Twice. I was addicted. And she was my drug. My eyes closed, savoring this moment of bliss. Like an addict needing more, I stepped closer, parting her thighs as my lips captured her plump lower lip and sucked lightly on it as hers did the same to my upper lip. Cradling her head between both my hands, I tilted her head a little sideways to get better access. She whimpered and clutched my shirt in her tiny hands, yanking me closer to her. Groaning, I swept my tongue across her lower lip, begging her to let me taste her.

Her mouth opened to let me in and I stepped closer yet again, needing to be closer. My hands ran down her arms and I froze, feeling the sticky wetness of the blood on her arm. She winced and I stepped back, horrified at what I had just done. Her wide eyes looked to mine, beautiful and drawing me in again. Turning my back on her, my hand went into my hair, yanking it so hard, I felt the sting at the back of my neck. She was hurt because of me. Because I had failed at the one thing I was supposed to do.

What have I done? Why did I let this happen? She's the Chief's daughter. He's going to kill me. Even if he didn't, I would never be good enough for her. She didn't know me. She didn't know the killer in me. I wasn't worth her love, let alone her kindness.

As I muttered and berated myself, I heard her speak softly, her voice sending shivers of want down my spine. I wanted her. I wanted to be good enough for her. Good enough for her love. Would I ever be?

"Agent Cullen. Please turn around."

Agent Cullen. I wondered what my first name would sound like coming from her lips?

Earlier, when she had requested the Honeymoon suite, my mind had conjured up a million fantasies all starring her, in the throes of passion screaming MY name. Oh how close it had come to that.

Running my hand through my hair again, I turned to her, "It's Edward."

Her eyebrows scrunched adorably, "I know. I saw it while Thea wrote it down before."

She was perched up on one of the stools, her lips deliciously red and swollen from my kiss, with my t-shirt folded on her lap. Fuck, she had looked good in my shirt.

Focusing on her wound, I walked to her, gently lifting the make-shift bandage to assess the wound. She winced a few times, but otherwise kept her eyes on me, studying me, it seemed. I couldn't look at her, afraid I was gonna kiss her again, if not more.

'Take her to bed and make her scream your name, you mean?'

Trying not to focus on my dick, I grabbed my phone out my pocket and dialed the one number I never thought I'd use again, but she owed me, and now it was time to collect.

On the second ring, she answered, "Hello?"

Walking to the window, I pinched the bridge of my nose, "Tanya? It's Edward."

"Edward. How are you? I haven't heard from you in 4 years. How's your father doing?"

Gritting my teeth, I tried to be civil, "He's fine. I'm fine. I need your help."

Silence and then, "Why?"

Looking out to the beautiful garden surrounding this lovely house, I played my cards, "Because I convinced my mother to let you keep your job, remember?"

She sighed, "Of course. How could I forget? What do you need? I presume you're in Seattle?"

"Yes, for now. Listen, I can't go into detail right now, but it's a friend of mine. She's hurt and she's afraid of hospitals. Can you come and take a look at her?"

"How bad is it?"

Remembering the nasty gash on Bella's arm, I said, "It's just a cut, but I think she needs stitches."

"Ok. I won't ask why or how it happened." I breathed a sigh of relief and she continued, "Give me the address for where you are, and I'll meet you there in half an hour."

I gave Dr. Denali the address, took a deep breath, and turned back to Bella. She was fiddling with my t-shirt in her hands, her eyebrows scrunched together in concentration. What was she thinking about? The kiss? Because I sure was and how I'd like a repeat. Standing by the window, I observed her. The way she kept brushing the same strand of hair behind her ear only to have it fall back into her eye again. How her slender fingers smoothed over the fabric of my shirt. God, I was fucking jealous of that shirt.

Walking closer, her eyes snapped to mine, and I said, "A doctor is coming to look at your wound."

Her eyes widened in fear. Stepping closer, I gently rubbed her shoulder while trying to reassure her, "She's a friend." She nodded slightly in understanding.

Taking a seat across from her, I asked, "So, you never answered my question before."

Her head cocked to the side, "Which question?"

"What your job was at the Mayor's office."

She sat up, her posture becoming defensive and withdrawn, "I'm..."she paused, looking down to her hands, then cleared her throat, "I was Mr. Tortuga's personal assistant. That meant going with him to meetings, taking notes at such meetings, attending fundraisers, and the works. You know, things a personal assistant does."

I nodded, watching her, "Do you know of anyone wanting to hurt Mr. Tortuga?" I was being insensitive and I knew it, but this was my job.

She glared at me, "No. No, I do not. He was a good man. He tried to make this city a better place for everyone." Getting up from her seat, her glare fierce, "Now, are you done interrogating me?" Fuck, she looked beautiful when she was mad. Shifting in my seat, I tried to hide my obvious reaction to her.

Looking at my watch, I noticed that half an hour was almost up. Keeping my eyes on hers, I stood up, towering over her. Nodding, I said, "Stay here. I'll be right back."

Feeling her glare following me, I walked outside and greeted Dr. Denali by her car, "Tanya. Thank you for coming."

Grabbing her medical bag from the backseat, she turned to me and gave me a gentle hug, "It seems I had no choice, Edward."

Walking up the stairs, with Ms. Thea's curious eyes following us, I stopped in front of the door to our room and turned back to Tanya, saying, "She's deaf." Her eyes widened slightly, but then nodded in understanding. What I had forgotten about, were the rose petals on the bed and the champagne on the bedside table. Of course she noticed, and her eyebrows raised questionably in my direction. I just shook my head and led her into the bathroom, where Bella stood looking out the window, her soft hair cascading down her back.

Dr. Denali walked over to the counter, setting down her bag as I walked over to Bella and gently laid my hand on her shoulder. Shrieking in surprise, she turned around. My mouth curved up into a small smile because that was just funny. Her eyes narrowed, but I saw the little smile on her face.

"Dr. Denali is here to look at your arm," I told her softly.

Her eyes traveled past me to look at Tanya and she nodded, taking a seat on the stool she occupied before. I stood beside her as Dr. Denali began to work, the curiosity written all over her face. I just hoped she wouldn't ask and make Bella uncomfortable. When she uncovered the wound, Tanya's head snapped in my direction, narrowing her eyes at me. She knew what kind of a wound it was. I just shook my head and focused my attention on Bella. She was curiously looking between Tanya and I, the questions swirling in her eyes, as she winced a few times while Tanya stitched up her wound. I tried to smile reassuringly at her, but the tension in the room was thick.

As Dr. Denali dressed the wound, she smirked my way, "So, Edward. What has your father been up to?"

Oh, the nerve of that woman.

XXXXXX

BPOV

Dr. Denali was a beautiful woman, probably in her early fifties. She had blonde hair and blue eyes, with big breasts and long legs. Every man's ideal woman. One could tell that her beauty wasn't all natural, but she was still very beautiful. I wondered if Edward had had a thing with this woman in the past. I mean, it didn't look like he would go for the older type, but you never know.

'Maybe that's why he had stopped the kiss before. He was feeling guilty.'

'Who the fuck cares? That man can kiss. Oh my,' my inner slut was fanning herself at the memory.

As Dr. Denali stitched up my wound, I replayed that kiss once again, like I had done so many times over the last half hour. My God, his lips were pure honey and oh god, his hair was so soft and silky. He had made me feel precious and beautiful with just one kiss. My first kiss. How would I ever recover from this?

Squirming in my seat to relieve some tension between my legs, I saw Dr. Denali say to Edward, "So, Edward. What has your father been up to?"

My eyebrows raised in question as I turned to Edward for his response. His eyes were glaring daggers at the poor doctor. Why was he so upset with her? She asked a simple question. Right?

With gritted teeth he spoke to her, and I couldn't make out what he said, but it didn't seem pleasant. Dr. Denali simply shrugged and smile sweetly at him, "What? I can't ask how my previous colleague is doing?"

Edward continued glaring at her, his fists clenching at his sides, when I saw him say, "I'm not going to dignify that with a response. I called you here because she needed help," His eyes met mine briefly, and the fire in his eyes diminished slightly, before he turned back to the doctor, "Not to discuss my father's well-being."

My curiosity was peaked. What had him hating this woman so much? Love gone wrong? And why did she keep asking about his father? What had transpired between these two?

Turning to Dr. Denali, I watched her smile fade from her face as she nodded and turned back to my arm. As she dressed the wound, I saw her lips move again and caught her saying something about Edward's wound. My eyes flickered to him and caught him staring intently at me. What did he see? What was he looking for? I wondered, would he find it? And if so, would he like it?

His eyes caught mine and I held his gaze for a while, watching the dark angry green fade slowly to a beautiful mossy green, the frown lines starting to disappear from between them, to how they had been before he kissed me. My heart started to hammer in my chest at the thought of his lips on mine. His hands on my cheeks, his body between my legs, moving on top of me, in me. I ached to touch him, to let him know that everything would be okay, even though I didn't know. I hadn't known this man for an entire day, and already I could feel the extreme hold he had on me. I dreaded the day we would part ways. My eyes fell from his to the floor as the sinking feeling settled in my stomach. How would I survive?

Thankfully, Dr. Denali was done shortly and dressed Edward's wound too, before he walked her down. I mumbled a quiet 'Thank you' as she packed up her bag and she smiled politely my way.

Before she left, she stopped in front of me and handed me what appeared to be a tube of ointment, "Have him redress it every day and spread this over the wound to avoid infection." Her gentle eyes met mine, "Call if you need anything, ok sweetie?"

I nodded, trying to swallow the lump in my throat. These last few days had been a emotional roller coaster, and her gentleness towards me and the term of endearment, reminded me so much of my mother. Oh, how I missed her.

She nodded, "Call me in a week or so to set up a time to remove the stitches, ok?" I nodded again. She smiled and leaned in closer, "and don't let this lug intimidate you. His bark isn't as bad as he wants it to be." Her hand grasped mine in a firm grip before she turned to leave. My eyes caught Edward's by the door, and he smiled that panty dropping smile my way before saying, "I'll be back shortly."

Nodding, I washed my hands and cleaned up the mess on the counter. I checked my phone that I had put on the bedside table and texted Alice back when she asked how I was doing. Truthfully, I wanted to tell her about Edward and his delicious kiss. I wanted to act like a girl all giddy from her first kiss. But I knew I couldn't, since I had no clue what it meant. Why he had done it? Because of the stress of the day? Or because he wanted to? Oh, how I wished I had the courage to ask him, or the ability to read his mind.

As I replayed the kiss again in my mind in vivid detail, my cheeks warming and my panties getting wet, I felt eyes on me. Lifting my eyes, I saw Edward standing by the door watching me intently again. What is he staring at? Do I have something in my teeth?

As I opened my mouth to ask him what he was staring at, his hand reached into the front pocket of his jeans and pulled out his phone.

His wide eyes met mine before he said, "It's your father."

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**A/N: If you like this story, please review. **

**Next update: Next week Wednesday. Stay tuned...**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: SM owns all things Twilight.**

**Thanks to my beautiful beta twilightobsessed522 for all that you do. Without you, I'd be lost. Also a special thank you goes to twimom1960 for pre-reading. Your enthusiasm and comments crack me up. Thank you.**

**Also, thank you to my readers, specifically to the ones that take their time to review, favorite and follow my story. You're the best.**

**A major thanks goes to stilldreaming85 for recommending this story on 'Thugward' on FB. Also to Tarbecca for her recommendation on 'A different Forest'. It means the world to me. Thank you so much. Xoxo**

**Please remember that this is fiction as you read. Here we go Ladies and Germs...**

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Chapter 5

EPOV

I knew he would call.

The last flight to D.C. out of Seattle, left an hour ago. I had been so wrapped up in his daughter and the fuck-awesome kiss we shared, which by the way, still lingered at the forefront of my mind, that I had forgotten to take us to the airport. When I say forgotten, I mean not technically forgotten, but I had let my dick make the decisions. Plus, with those fuckers most likely still looking for us out there, the airport didn't seem like such a good idea. They had known I was here, and to know that, they were well connected. It only made sense to lay low, right? Right. At least that's what I told myself constantly. It had nothing to do with the fact that I wanted to spend time with her and get to know her, and maybe repeat that kiss again.

'You keep telling yourself that, man.' My dick wasn't helping right now. He liked Ms. Bella and only wanted to get acquainted with her some more. Preferably, the naked kind of 'get to know.'

Squeezing my eyes shut and groaning to myself, I answered the phone, "Hello..."

The Chief didn't let me finish before ripping into me, "Agent Cullen! Would you care to explain why I don't see your name or my daughter's name on the flight manifest?"

Straight to the point then. Bella was watching me intently, playing with her phone. She seemed way too calm about this.

"Sir, we ran into some complications..."

Again, he cut me off, his voice rising an octave, "What kind of complications, Agent?"

Oh he could so have me fired for this, but I was hoping the truth would be enough, "Someone came to your daughter's apartment. Sir, they knew I was there. I thought only you and I knew I was coming."

"Is Bella ok? What happened? Please tell me she's ok." He was frantic over the phone. I imagined him pacing along his office floor.

Bella came to my side and motioned for me to turn my phone onto speaker mode, as she held her phone against mine. What was she up to?

"Dad..." Her soft voice did things to me which I couldn't explain.

"Bella! Oh dear god. Thank heavens you're ok." He sounded way more relieved now.

She smiled at me reassuringly, "Dad, I'm ok. Agent Cullen made sure of that. Don't worry so much. You're going to give yourself a heart attack that way." Smiling, she held up her phone to my confused face. Now I saw what she had been doing. Whenever the Chief spoke, it wrote it out on her screen and that way she was able to talk to him. My mouth quirked up in a small smile at how smart she was.

"Isabella, this is not a joke. What happened, Cullen?" Ok, he lost the Agent which was a good sign. It seemed having Bella talk to him was helping me in a way, too. Fuck, she's amazing. Wait? What? Now's not the time for that.

It was time for the truth and hopefully it would appease him, "Like I told you, someone knew I was here." Bella's eyes met mine in fear. Ever so gently, I stroked her good arm, hoping it would help relax her. She leaned into my touch and the fear in her eyes subsided somewhat as she held my gaze. She was warm to the touch, I liked it. A lot.

'Concentrate, man. Don't fondle the Chief's daughter while you're on the phone with him.' Fuck!

Tuning back into the conversation, I heard the Chief say, "No one else knew about you going to Seattle." He paused, "Unless, you told your team."

A surge of anger ran up my spine. 4 years I had worked with him, and proved my loyalty, and this is the level of trust he had towards me?

"No sir, I did not. You know that." I gritted my teeth, but from look of the concern in Bella's eyes, I relaxed tremendously. What the fuck was she doing to me? Why did I let her affect me so much?

The Chief sighed into the phone, "I know that. It just doesn't make any sense. What are they after? What do they want? And more importantly, who are they?" I literally hear the wheels of his mind turning over the phone.

I could answer it by saying his daughter, but I didn't want to irritate him more.

He continued, "No matter. The Seattle office will take care of it. I want you on the next flight back to D.C., you got it, Cullen?"

Before I could respond, Bella said, "Dad, I'm not leaving just yet. There's something..."

The Chief's voice hollered over the phone, "Isabella Marie Swan, you will get on that plane with Agent Cullen, do you understand?"

I flinched at his tone towards her and almost told him to watch it, but I gritted my teeth because this was his daughter and I had no say over her, or what he wanted her to do. Plus, she couldn't hear him anyway.

Bella's eyes blazed with fury, "Charles Marion Swan! I am a grown woman and I am not getting on that plane. There's something I need to do here. Agent Cullen can leave if you want him to, but I'm not leaving, Dad, and that's that." The Chief's middle name was Marion? What the fuck?

Fuck, she was sexy in her anger. My dick noticed too, as he stood at attention, making it very uncomfortable in my pants. But the thing that got me was that she was ok with me leaving. I hoped to God that the Chief would let me stay. She shouldn't be alone, especially with those fuckers still on the loose. Plus, I wanted to stay. Here. With her. God, I sound like a girl. Moving right along. I was curious though, what did she have to do here?

The Chief growled over the phone before he tried again, "Bella, it's not safe there. I need you to come here." Oh, so the Chief was capable of begging? That was news to me.

She winked at me before she said, "That's why I have Agent Cullen here to protect me." Her eyes closed for a second before she locked them on mine, chocolate lava, swirling with trust, as she said, "Daddy, I need you to trust me. I have to do this and once it's done, I will come to D.C, ok?"

Ooohh, she played the daddy card. If the Chief wouldn't be putty in her hands after that, then I was. Fuck, she knew how to persuade him...and possibly me too.

The Chief sighed heavily, "Bella, I don't like this. Not at all. What is so important that you can't leave?" Here we go. My ears perked up with curiosity.

Her face took on a sad expression, tears in her eyes, "I know Daddy, but you need to trust me." She paused for a brief moment, "I need to clean out my office." Her eyes squeezed shut and I knew that wasn't the truth. She was hiding something, and I didn't like it one bit. Why would she lie?

I turned away to give them some privacy, even though the tears in her eyes were killing me, but still listened intently to what she was saying. My arms literally ached to comfort her. These last few days had been rough on her, and I knew that eventually, it would all need to come out. She wouldn't be able to keep up this strong front she had going on. I just hoped it was sooner rather than later.

The Chief's voice was quiet as he responded, "I do trust you, baby girl." He paused for a brief second, "Agent Cullen, I want you to stay with her. I'll clear everything on this end." She nodded at me, smiling. I was still pondering as to what she could be hiding.

I nodded even though he couldn't see me, "Yes sir. Thank you, sir. I won't let you down."

"Bella, baby, call me every day, ok? I need to know that you're ok."

A small smile played on her lips, "I will, Dad. I love you."

"I love you too." After they hung up, Bella gave me back my phone and sat down on the couch. I could feel her eyes on me as I tried to distract myself with texting Rose for any new details. Nothing had come up so far, but she was positive it wouldn't be long until she had something.

Looking out the window, I noticed it was getting dark and it looked like rain. One look at the time on my phone told me it was just after 4. Supper was being served around 6 tonight. We needed to discuss some things before then.

Taking a seat beside her, I took a deep breath and began, "So, how are you doing?" I was horrible at starting conversations, so I hoped she would start talking without me trying to pry. It would just be easier.

An amused smile lit up her face and I couldn't help but be drawn towards her. I leaned closer to her as I rested my arm on the back of the couch, my fingers brushing her arm as I did.

"I'm doing fine. How are you?" The teasing tone was obvious in her voice.

I smiled a little, "I'm good. Are you in any pain?"

She rolled her eyes at me, "So this is how we're going to spend our time? Small talk?"

My mouth dropped open at her bluntness and she giggled at my expression. Fuck, she was beautiful when she laughed. My heart gave a double thump at her carefree expression.

I leaned closer, smelling her delicious scent, and heard her breath hitch. That's right, sweetness. Two can play this game. "How would you like to spend our time?" I winked at her. I fucking winked at her. What the fuck is wrong with me?

Her mouth dropped open in a gasp, her eyes focused on my lips, and I couldn't help but wet my lower lip, watching her eyes become hooded with desire. I smiled at her reaction and she snapped out her trance, her eyes narrowing at me.

Her shoulders squared back and she had this glint in her eye as she asked, "Tell me about Tanya?"

The smile on my face dropped at the mention of her name.

XXXXXX

BPOV

I loved his smile. It did things to me. It made my underwear wet with desire for him, and made my heart beat faster. It also made me want to yank him closer and fuse his lips to mine, and feel his groan of pleasure vibrate through me again. Fuck, is getting hot in here?

I regretted that question as soon as it left my lips. It made his smile disappear. No, no, no. That's not what I wanted.

It was time to do some damage control. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked that."

He shook his head 'no' and grabbed his hair and yanked on it, while looking outside. "It's ok, Bella." I watched him inhale deeply and then exhale, his eyes taking on a far away look. A sad and yet, angry look.

"We used to live here in Seattle," He started. "My dad, Carlisle, is a doctor. A good one at that. Brillant, you could say. He spent lots of time at the hospital, leaving my mother and I to fend for ourselves. Not that I minded. I lived on my own." He turned back to me and I nodded for him to continue, "He wasn't a bad father. Not at all, but his work consumed him." He shook his head, his eyes focusing on my hair on my shoulder as his fingers played with the strands. It was soothing. "My mother stood by him, bringing food to the hospital for him, and put on a brave face, but I could tell it was straining. I was scheduled to leave in 3 days for training before I was supposed to get shipped overseas to Iraq. I had just rented out my apartment and wanted to spend the last few days before I left with my parents." His eyes focused on mine before continuing, "You know, spend time with your loved ones in case..." He trailed off, his eyes focusing again on my hair. I knew what he meant, and my heart squeezed in agony. I knew his pain. To some degree, I understood. The scenarios differed, but the pain was similar.

His eyes darkened with sadness and anger as he continued, "I heard them argue in my father's study the night I had moved back in. My mother was asking him why he had to do it. He said that he was asked to train her. And I remember wondering who this 'her' was. My mother literally begged him not to do it, but he said that he had obligations to fulfill at the hospital, as a doctor. I didn't understand any of it. My father left soon after that for his shift and I heard my mother crying in their room that night. I felt so helpless. What could I do? This wasn't the way I wanted to remember my parents before I left."

He swallowed and continued, "I sat up the entire night waiting for my father to come home. When he did, he looked beaten and tired, like death warmed over. His eyes were red and his clothes were wrinkled. He asked me to meet him and my mother in the living room. Once seated, he kneeled in front of my mother and sobbed into her lap, telling her that she was right and that he was wrong, and so sorry. It was hard to watch and I still didn't understand any of it."

By now I had tears in my eyes at the pain he was exuding. He continued, "I demanded an explanation. That's when he told me. Tanya was from Alaska, having just moved here, and he had been asked to train her, you know, talk her through procedures and observe her work. The problem was that she flirted relentlessly with him. My mother had seen it one day when she had brought him lunch, and that's why they fought. He confessed that Tanya had made advances towards him the previous night, and he hadn't stopped it. He let her kiss him. He swore that nothing else happened besides a kiss. My mother forgave him, saying that if he was lying, he wouldn't be home now and that he couldn't lie for shit. I was pissed. Before I knew it, my father was laying on the floor holding his bleeding nose in his hand and my hand fucking hurt from the punch."

I gasped and a small smile curved his lips, "Yeah, I punched my father and I'm not sorry for it. I did it for my mother. The shocking part was that he got up with a smile on his face and told me 'Thank you' and that he deserved it. I knew then that he was telling the truth." He shook his head while the smile vanished, "My mother hated Tanya. She wanted her gone from the hospital, from Seattle, hell even from this earth. Even after my father quit the training and told Tanya to leave him alone, she wouldn't stop. One day, he had found her buck naked waiting for him in his car. He came home in a taxi that day. My mother was furious. She was on her way to talk to the board at the hospital, which she was part of, when I convinced her that it wasn't worth it. At that time, I was already in Virginia for my training." I was starting to hate this Tanya woman too. What a fucking psycho.

His hand ran through his hair again before playing with mine again, "You see, during my training, I came upon a small house nestled in the woods close to Richmond, and it was for sale. I sent pictures of it to my father, met with the realtor, and over the next few days my father bought it. He surprised my mother by taking her to Virginia and showing her the house for their anniversary. She thought they were only coming to visit me. She loved it, and they have lived in Virginia ever since."

"That's why she asked about your father?" He nodded solemnly. "She still wants him?"

He nodded again, "Yeah, she does, but since I convinced my mother not to get her fired, she owed me. That's why she came so willingly." A lot more made sense. I had wondered how he gotten a doctor here so fast and off record. His hand ran through his hair, "It's fucked up that I convinced my mother to leave her alone, I know. But I had a good reason. At the time, like I already said, I worked with my father to buy the house in Virginia and he had secured himself a position at one of the hospitals in Richmond. She was furious with me at first, but it worked out in the end." He smiled a little smile at the end.

He was quiet, letting me absorb his story. It was heart wrenching, but had a happy ending. Feeling his eyes on me, I lifted mine to his, my tears still evident in my eyes. A look of concern crossed his face as his thumb gently swiped away the tear that ran down my cheek, "Hey, it's a sad story, but it's the past. And with a happy ending. My parents are still together and very much in love. Sometimes it's sickening."

I smiled through my tears, "I know. Thank you for sharing."

His head cocked to the side, "Then what's wrong?"

I decided that since he had been honest and told me something about himself, that I could do the same. Looking down at my hands, I said, "I wasn't always deaf."

His hand stilled on my cheek, and my heart hammered in my chest. Not a lot of people knew this story. It was hard to tell. A lot of old wounds always opened when I told this story.

Edward tapped my chin, urging me to meet to look at him and when I did, he said, "Care to share?" His smile was inviting and before I knew it, I was telling him my life story.

My eyes focused on the beautiful scenery outside as the memories played in my head, "I was 4 years old at the time, and was playing outside with a few friends from our neighbourhood. I can't remember what it sounded like. I wish I could. I imagine sometimes what the wind sounds like, breezing through the trees, the laughter of children, my father's voice, or my sisters laugh. I would love to hear your voice." My eyes widened at that tidbit of truth, but he just smiled that beautiful smile of his while still playing with my hair. Somehow it kept me grounded. Calm.

I smiled at the mention of Alice and continued, "My mother, Renee, called us inside for snacks. It was in the afternoon so we could watch some TV. I remember my mother tying my hair behind my back and then everything went silent. I couldn't hear the TV, or my mother. I was confused. Why was everything silent? I wanted to ask my mother, but no sound came out. Nothing made sense. So I went to turn up the TV, but it was still quiet. My mother's face showed concern when she spoke, but I heard nothing. I started to cry."

I looked to Edward and saw him listening intently, nodding for me to continue. "Eventually, my mother noticed that something was wrong with me and took me to the hospital, yet again. You see, I suffered on and off from ear infections since I was born. I guess this was my ear's way of saying 'Enough's enough', you know?" His mouth curved up in a small sympathetic smile, but his frown told me that he didn't like that. Oh well.

"The doctors confirmed that I was deaf, my mother told me a few years down the road. She was always the optimistic. She hired the best teachers around and swore that I would have a normal life. I learned. With a lot of work and time, I learned to speak, to sign, and to also read lips."

I paused to swallow the lump that was forming in my throat, "Eventually, she got tired of it. She left us with a huge amount of debt and disappeared into the night. One morning, we found a note on the table saying that she was tired of the small town life and needed a change of scenery. Charlie was heartbroken and my sister cried for days. But I knew different. I was the reason she left. I was slowing her down. The handicapped child. Everyone in town believed it, so why shouldn't I? From then on, I worked harder, hoping that she'd come back and see that I was capable of...being normal." The last words came out a constricted whisper as the tears flowed and sobs wracked my body. I hated this. I hated showing how much this affected me...still. The hold it had on me was strong.

Covering my eyes, I let my head fall into my hands as I cried. I hated this weakness. Strong arms circled my shoulders and drew me into a warm chest. My tears stained his shirt, but he never let go as I cried. Every so often, I felt his lips in my hair, his hand caress my back, and him holding me tighter. Eventually my tears turned into sniffles, and my sniffles turned into hiccups. My eyes heavy from this long day, I drifted into a dreamless sleep in his warm embrace, clinging to him and breathing in his musky scent.

Sometime during the night, I woke to go to the bathroom and noticed that I was tucked into bed. I didn't remember going to bed. The lamp on the night table was on, and I saw Edward sleeping on the floor beside the bed. His shirt was off and I noticed a bunch of tattoos lining his chest and shoulders. I also noticed some scars along his torso. His hair was ruffled and he looked so peaceful in his sleep. The blanket was around his waist, revealing his hairless chest with a small trail of hair from his bellybutton down into his pants. My face flushed at the thought of what was underneath those pants. My bladder reminded me of the task at hand.

As I returned from the bathroom, I saw Edward fidgeting in his sleep. His eyes moving behind his lids and his hands trembling. A nightmare, I presumed. I slid to my knees in front of him and gently caressed his cheek, "Edward..."

His eyes snapped open and the look in them caused me to scramble back in fear. The man staring back at me was not my Edward.

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**A/N: If you like this story, please review and let me know what you think. **

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**Stay tuned for the next chapter...and thanks for reading. :) :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: SM owns all things Twilight.**

**Thanks to my hard working beta SunflowerFran for all that you do. Also a special thank you goes to twimom1960 and stilldreaming85 for pre-reading. Thank you so much.**

**Also, thank you to my readers, specifically to the ones that take their time to review, favorite and follow my story. You're truly the best.**

**Please remember that this is fiction as you read. Here we go Ladies and Germs...**

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Chapter 6

EPOV

_I fucking hate this fucking place._

_It smelled like death and decay._

_In the distance, I could hear faint gunfire. The wind blew softly from the Southeast, the yellowing grass swayed with the wind._

_Sweat ran down my face._

_It was so fucking hot._

_A few feet to my left, a rattlesnake crawled over the hill._

_I fucking hate snakes._

_My body tensed at the sight. Taking a deep, calming breath once the snake was across the ledge, I turned back to my M40 and looked through the scope. I could see dust a few miles down the road._

_Here we go._

_"Ed, you ready?" My spotter, Riley, asked._

_I nodded slowly, chewing on my day-old gum. Why I still had it in my mouth, I didn't know._

_"Yep, let me know when." I watched through my scope as the convoy of terrorists approached; two jeeps, each with a gunman on top._

_Great._

_This would have to be as quick and as clean as possible._

_Checking my focus as they came closer, I asked Riley, "Give me a reading."_

_He rustled with the papers in front of him, "680 yards and closing. Wind speed 5 miles from the Southeast. Main target is supposed to be in last jeep."_

_I nodded, took a deep breath; my heartbeat was calm and steady. This is what I was trained to do. Take down the bad guy from afar._

_Fast_

_Clean_

_Unnoticed._

_Through my scope, I watched them approach._

_Closer and closer._

_Showtime._

_"Riley?"_

_"500 yards and closing."_

_I adjusted my scope and let my finger linger on the trigger._

_I was ready._

_"480 yards and closing."_

_I focused on the first jeep, set my sights, took a deep breath and while exhaling, I pulled the trigger._

_BOOM!_

_The gun jerked back into my shoulder. The gunman's head exploded and he fell. I pulled back and aimed again at the driver._

_Exhale._

_BOOM!_

_One by one, I took them down._

_Riley was shouting instructions at my side for each one, and once finished, I looked around in case I missed someone._

_Nothing._

_The dust settled and I relaxed._

_We had done it. One more bad guy crossed off the 'Most Wanted List.'_

_Rolling over, I took a few deep breaths._

_That was done._

_A success._

_Riley was on the horn with our superior and filled him in on all the details. I couldn't help but smile. This was my last mission here. I was going home next week. I couldn't wait to hug my mother, my father and kiss American soil._

_As we tracked down the mountain, my rifle by my side and Riley with his M16 by his side, as he asked all kinds of questions. He was being assigned to a different unit once I left._

_"What are you gonna do first, once you get home, Sir?"_

_Smiling in his direction, I said, "It's Edward. Stop with the sir." He shrugged and rolled his eyes at me. Over the last year in this hellhole, he had become a close friend of mine. He was from California, but that didn't matter. He loved sunshine, while I didn't mind the snow. In fact, there was probably snow on the ground at home now._

_I grinned in his direction, "I'm gonna eat some snow."_

_He grimaced, "That's just disturbing man. Why would you do such a thing?"_

_Laughing, I punched his shoulder playfully, "Because it's just like ice, just a little more fluffy. You outta try some."_

_He shuddered, "No thanks. I'll take my sunshine over snow any day."_

_"Your loss, man," I said while laughing at the disgusted expression on his face._

_The smile fell from my face as I watched Riley fall to the ground in slow motion. Blood splattered onto my uniform from the open wound in his chest. I heard the gunshot, but it was all too late._

_He was dead._

_Before I could turn around, I felt a blow to the back of my head._

_Everything went dark afterwards._

_x_

_My head hurt like fucking hell._

_Groaning, I tried to reach for it but my arms wouldn't move. Everything came back to me. Riley falling to the ground...dead. The hit over my head. Squinting, I made out three people in front of me. Blinking a few times, the blurriness in front of my eyes cleared up and I saw three, cloth-covered people in front of me. All of them had machine guns in their hands. The middle one walked over to me, looked at me with hard eyes and then struck me with his gun._

_Fucking hell that hurt. My head flung to the side and I coughed, spitting up blood._

_"Where is your base located?" He asked with a thick accent._

_I shook my head in pain and lifted my eyes to his, spitting blood in his face._

_He pulled back again with his gun, ready to strike me again but something shifted and I heard this soft voice calling out to me._

_"Edward."_

Bella.

Confused, I looked around for her but couldn't see her. She was here, somewhere. I felt her … Her soft touch on my cheek. I turned to my side wanting to see her sweet face. What I saw was only one hooded man, and he held her against him with his knife pressed to her delicate throat.

I snapped and flung myself at him, somehow breaking loose. Pinning him against the wall, I looked into his murderous eyes.

"Edward!" Her terrified voice spoke right in front of me.

How was that possible?

She couldn't be here.

Not to see this.

I hesitated, blinked.

Once.

Twice.

My eyes focused and I saw Bella. My hands were grasping her upper arms tightly and pressing her into the wall. Her eyes were brimming with tears. Her whole body trembled. I blinked again.

No!

It couldn't be.

I blinked again and still she stood there, trembling.

Because of me.

My eyes looked to my fingers, digging into her soft flesh and I released her like she was infected with a plague. Walking backwards, I shook my head.

This couldn't be real.

It just couldn't be.

She reached out for me.

What for?

I was a monster. I had hurt her. Bella took a small step towards me, her eyes trusting again, "Edward..."

Shaking my head, I spun on my heel and fled the room. I couldn't be in her presence now. Not this way.

I ran.

Down the stairs, out the door, and up the path that led into the mountains at the back of the cottage. My heart hammered in my chest and my eyes stung with the fact that I had hurt her.

When I had come back from Iraq, I had begun working with a psychiatrist, and over the years, the nightmares subsided. The agony lessened and I was able to visit Riley's grave without crumbling. Three years I had gone without these nightmares.

Why now?

My lungs burned, the gravel cut into my bare feet and the cold raindrops cut into my naked torso. However, none of that mattered. All that mattered was her, and her scared, wide eyes looking back at me.

The reason for that look was me.

God, I felt sick.

I knew I would have to go back eventually and face her.

Would she run?

Scream?

It would only make sense.

As I walked back, the sun starting to rise and I thought about what I was gonna say. to her. How do you apologize for something like that? Maybe I'd know when I'd see her. Yeah, that made sense.

I had sat up all night in a small clearing watching the cottage, making sure Bella was safe. I still had a job to do, and by God, I was gonna do it. If she didn't forgive me, I'd get a separate room and stay up all night making sure she was safe.

By the garden, stood a small bench and I sat down, giving her more space and time. At least that's what I told myself. Mostly, I was just scared to face her.

Prolonging the inevitable.

Crunching gravel behind me told me that someone was approaching.

"You know, I used to have a dog. Rex. That was his name. He'd sit down by my feet, put his head in my lap and look at me with those big eyes until I told him everything that was on my mind." Her voice was soft behind me and I couldn't help but smile and relax tremendously.

She chuckled, "Should I do that? Sit by your feet; put my head in your lap until you tell me what's going on?"

I couldn't help it, I laughed. Sitting down beside me, Bella smiled widely at me. How could she be so calm about this? She had showered, I noticed, wearing the same clothes as yesterday, except for my shirt. It looked so fucking good on her.

I shifted in my seat picturing her in nothing but my shirt.

_Focus, you idiot._

Bella looked down to the shirt and then back at me, biting her lower lip, "I hope you don't mind. I have nothing else to wear."

I shook my head, "No that's quite all right."

She smiled softly and turned to look at the garden.

Quietly we sat, side by side for some time. I was contemplating on how to approach the elephant sitting between us when she broke the silence. "Edward," I turned to her and she continued, "What was that all about?"

That was the question. _What was that all about?_

I turned to her, opening my mouth to speak, but no words came out.

She smiled sympathetically and faced the garden again, "It's ok, you know? I don't blame you."

I gaped at her. What was with this woman? Did she not see the danger I was to her?

Squeezing my eyes shut, I pinched the bridge of my nose before looking at her again, "Are you crazy?"

Her smile got bigger, "Maybe so. But I know that," she pointed to the cottage behind her, "wasn't you. This is you." She pointed at me.

My mind drew a blank as I stared at her.

Was she for real? For sure this was some kind of hallucination that my brain cooked up.

I shook my head, "It was hell over there. In Iraq." I paused and looked at her. She was watching me intently with understanding in her eyes.

"It was my last assignment. I was supposed to go home the following week, when my friend, Riley Summers was killed right before my eyes, and there was nothing I could do. Then I got kidnapped by the terrorists who killed Riley, and was tortured for days on end for information."

My eyes closed as I remembered the dream. This one had been different from the others.

Entirely different ...

She had been there.

I continued, "These dreams were pretty bad when I first got back, but I got better. I was able to sleep through the night. I was able to visit my friend's gravesite, able to hear a gunshot without cringing." She was still looking at me, watching, listening in her own way.

Would this next part scare her?

"This dream was different. You were there. At first, I couldn't see you, but when I did, you were in danger. I knew I needed to get to you, and when I did ... That's when I woke up and... and ...You know the rest."

God, I sounded pathetic.

She nodded, "Yes, I do." She was quiet for a bit and then, "Have these dreams always ended like this? With you awake and doing, God knows what?"

Why wasn't she running away from me?

"At first, yes. I woke a few times where I was punching the hell out of my mattress. One time, I woke up where it was in shreds because I had been stabbing it to death. When the salesperson at the mattress store asked me the reason for a new mattress, I just told them that it died. He gave me this weird look."

Her laugh filled the air and I smiled.

I always wanted that look on her face.

"No wonder. You probably scared the man."

I laughed along with her, the tension broken, "He was still a boy. Barely out of high school, it seemed."

Her laughter dimmed as she faced me again, "What was it that you did over there?"

"I was, and still am, a sniper. I killed people, Bella."

She crossed her legs in front of her and faced me, "Yeah, but they were bad people. Terrorists, right?"

My fingers found the strands of hair by her shoulder fascinating.

_So soft._

My eyes focused on her again, "Yes but that doesn't make it any easier. I took peoples' lives. Sometimes I still do. With my line of work, I have to. I'm a killer, Bella. Do you understand that?"

She grabbed my other hand and squeezed, "I don't see it that way. You're doing it for your country; there's a difference. Because of you, a lot of people get to live. We are a free nation because of what you did and still are doing. You, along with many others, stop the evil from spreading. Don't you understand that?"

I gaped at her, totally blown away with her natural understanding.

She smiled at my expression, "It's the truth and you need to start believing it yourself."

Looking down on my hands, I thought about what she said. Yes, I had taken lives while fighting for the freedom and security of millions of people in foreign countries and here in the USA in the war against terrorism.

Could it be that simple?

Could I learn to believe that what I did helped tremendously to stop criminal behavior from spreading? I didn't know for sure; however, one thing I did know was that I needed to apologize to her.

I looked up and tapped her shoulder softly to get her to look at me, "Bella, what I did earlier..." I paused and she smiled softly. "I'm so sorry. You have to believe that it wasn't my intention to hurt you."

She held up her hand to stop me. "I know, Edward, and as I said earlier, it's okay. I knew that it wasn't you." Her eyes narrowed at me, "But next time, I won't hesitate to kick you in your gonads."

I cringed and went to covered up my junk. She was a petite, beautiful woman but underneath all that was a feisty, strong-headed woman who wouldn't hesitate to do just that.

She laughed at me again and I couldn't help but join her. laugh along side her.

Once the laughter died down, I remembered what I wanted to ask her, "Do you really have to clean out your office?"

She looked around, and then turned back to me, "No, not exactly. When Mr. Tortuga was ... dying, he told me something."

I was intrigued and leaned closer, "What?"

"He said these words, 'The book. My office.' That has to mean something, right? I mean, he wouldn't have told me unless it was something serious. I need to find out what he meant." She was looking at me intently as though I had all the answers.

"Do you know what book he was talking about?"

"I think so. I know he sometimes wrote in a blue notebook. I was his personal assistant and I know where he kept it. One day he showed me where he kept everything he didn't want to get out to the public."

My heart began to beat a little faster at the possibility of finding new information, "Well, where is it?"

"It's in his office at his house. I hope the police haven't found it yet."

It could be a possibility and I knew what we needed to do. "We're gonna have to go take a look. Are you up for that … to play agent with me?"

Her head cocked to the side as she looked at me, "Hell yeah. Let's go." She sprang up and started walking towards the car.

I ran to catch up with her and spun her around, "Hold up there Captain Hurry. I need to shower. Then breakfast." I motioned to my shirtless torso and my bare feet. Her eyes traveled down my body slowly, probably seeing the scars, too. If she did, she didn't say anything.

When her eyes met mine, I saw her pupils had dilated slightly. Did she find me attractive? I mean, she had responded to my kiss yesterday. Fuck, I couldn't think of that now. These sweatpants left nothing to the imagination when sporting a hard-on.

_Think baseball, man. Think Emmett playing baseball naked._

That did it.

She cleared her throat, "Yeah, you need a shower … And clothes. Definitely need clothes."

Yep, she did find me attractive. My inner teenage boy was doing a fist pump.

I smirked at her, "Yes and then some food. You want to eat, right?"

She nodded.

I thought I heard her say something like 'I'd like to eat you.' Smirking, I walked back into the cottage, where Thea wanted Bella's attention right away. I left the two women to chat as I went upstairs to shower. I needed to relieve some tension in my lower region anyway.

XXXXXX

BPOV

I couldn't help myself.

I watched his ass as he walked up the stairs. My oh my, what a fine piece of ass … With those two dimples just above the cheeks.

Yummy.

The tattoos on his shoulders covered some of the lengthy scars that were covering his back. I was curious as to how he got them, but afraid to ask. Maybe he'd tell me eventually, and if I were to guess, they were battle scars. Somehow, they defined him. Made him the man he was; made him more beautiful in my eyes.

As he turned the corner at the top the stairs, I turned back to Thea. She was looking at me funny. A knowing smile graced her lips and I blushed.

"What?"

Her arms drew around my shoulder and she steered me towards a table where she had arranged coffee and biscuits. I turned so I could read her lips as she spoke, "Oh nothing. I just know that look. I had that look in my eyes once too, you know?"

My eyebrows scrunched together; confused, "What look?"

She laughed, "You know what look. The way you look at him. You adore that man."

I stumbled at her words.

Was my staring that obvious?

Adore?

Really?

I found him attractive and he was a great kisser. And when I was near him, my blood pumped a little faster. I could spend days analyzing that, but I just didn't have the time. He had initiated the kiss so it could mean that he liked me, too, but I wasn't sure. We hadn't talked about it, not even mentioned it. It was as if it never happened. I wondered where it left us—or if there even was an us.

Thea patted me on my shoulder as I sat down and she disappeared into the kitchen. I presumed. Trying to concentrate on the matter at hand of getting the mayor's book, I didn't even notice Edward come down until he sat down across from me. My God, he looked delicious with wet hair that looked like he had just towel dried it and left it in its disarray. Strands were falling into eyes and my fingers twitched at my side, eager to brush them away. The green in his eyes was brighter now than earlier. He seemed less ... burdened. I was happy to see that.

We enjoyed the delicious breakfast of pancakes and coffee mostly in silence. Well, silence was all I knew, but we didn't talk much. Soft smiles and little glances were exchanged as we ate. Edward seemed deep in thought and I didn't want to disturb him. Besides, my focus was on Thea as she watched us curiously.

What was she looking for?

I nursed my coffee and once Edward was finished, he looked up from his plate and smiled softly at me as he said, "I think Thea might be on to us."

My brows furrowed, "What do you mean?"

His eyes quickly cast to Thea once more before he looked back at me, "We don't actually act like newlyweds. I think she might not believe that lie anymore."

My face flushed and I looked down into my coffee cup, "Yeah, I suppose you're right." Of course, he was. That explained the curious glances, the slight furrow in her brows and the questions written all over her face.

His soft hand on my cheek made me look up to watch him say, "Don't worry. This should appease her. Besides we should go anyway."

Go?

Where?

What was he talking about?

I couldn't concentrate past his hand on my cheek. It felt so nice and warm. Long fingers too, and you know what they say about long fingers, right? Or was that about big feet?

Maybe both?

Now I wanted to see his feet to confirm.

I think I nodded to what he said because he got up and held out his hand to me.

_'Yay for me, I get to touch him again.'_

_'That's all for show, dummy. To appease Thea,' _my other half replied.

_'No matter. We get to touch him and that's all we want...and then some.'_

I put my hand in his and he led me out to the car. I turned once more and waved to Thea, seeing that the worrisome look on her face had somewhat diminished. The plan was working it seemed.

After giving Edward directions, we arrived at Mr. Tortuga's house in about twenty-five minutes.

Edward drove around the block a few times, taking different streets to see if we were being followed, or if any suspicious cars were on the streets. Once satisfied that no one was there, he pulled into the parking lot of an apartment building across the street from Mr. Tortuga's house and parked.

He turned to me, "All right. Since I don't know where the book is, you're gonna have to come with me."

I nodded and he continued, "But stay close and keep your head down. You know how to get in, right?"

I nodded again, "Yes I know where the key is."

Smiling gently, we got out and headed across the street to Mr. Tortuga's house. Edward had put on a baseball cap and I had my hair in a messy bun.

_'Not to mention that the cap made Edward look like a sexy bad boy.'_

My inner dialogue seemed to have gotten worse ever since Edward got around. It used to keep me company, but now it was a tug of war between lust and trying to keep it professional.

Walking around the back, I lifted the fake rock from the water foundation and grabbed the key. Once inside, I quickly went into Mr. Tortuga's office with Edward in tow. He kept looking out the windows.

In the office, I stopped in front of Mr. Tortuga's desk and looked to Edward, who was watching me curiously.

"You might think this weird, but I, for one, think it's genius."

His mouth lifted into that delicious crooked grin and I went to work before I started to salivate at the sight.

The desk had three drawers on each side, smallest one on top and biggest at the bottom. I pulled open the middle one on the left about half way. Next, I opened the top drawer on the right side about three-quarters, and finally, the top drawer on the left about one-quarter. Looking up, I saw the bookcase giving way about an inch. If one didn't know it was there, one would have never noticed. However, since Mr. Tortuga trusted me, I knew about this.

With a smile, I turned to Edward, who had this surprisingly unbelievable look on his face. I went to push the bookshelf aside, but he beat me to it. Once opened, I walked inside.

Mr. Tortuga was a simple man. He wasn't the fancy type, but he had one fascination and that was books. He had books in the vault that dated back to the early 1700s. It was fascinating, and some days he would tell me stories about what he read. It made working with him that more delightful.

As Edward gaped at the titles, I went to the filing cabinet at the far end of the room. Here he kept the official documents for each book in the vault, as well as the book he had mentioned just before he passed. I knew what he had meant at that moment, I just didn't know the significance. There had to be something in there that he wanted me to see.

I located it quickly and turned back to Edward with a smile.

He was on the phone with a grim expression on his face, yanking on his hair and pacing frantically.

As I walked closer, I watched him say, "Yeah, Rose. Thanks. Got it. Call you later."

None of it made sense and as soon as he ended the call, he turned to me, "We need to leave. Give me your phone."

"What?"

He waved his hand frantically, "Give me your phone!"

I gave him my phone, not understanding any of it.

After putting all of the drawers back as they were, and the secret wall into its normal position, he grabbed my hand and quickly walked us out the door and across the street to his car. I wasn't sure what he was doing but when he got into the car, he backed up and then drove forward a few times. As he pulled away from the parking lot and onto the street, I saw both our phones on the ground, broken into a thousand pieces.

Something was definitely wrong.

Fear gripped at me and my heart began to speed.

Turning to him, I saw his fingers gripping the steering wheel so harshly that his knuckles turned white and anger was written all over his face.

"Edward, what is it? What did that Rose say?"

His jaw moved a few times and his hands wrung the steering wheel as he sped away from the city before he answered, "How could I have been so stupid? I should have known. It all makes sense now."

I was even more confused, "What? What makes sense?"

His eyes snapped to mine briefly, "They were tracking us … our phones. That's how they knew I was at your apartment, and also knew we were here. We have to leave, and that's why I destroyed our phones." He slammed his hand onto the steering wheel and I flinched.

I sat back and thought about what he said.

They were tracking us.

Who were they?

What did they want?

I looked to the book in my lap. Could the answers be in here?

Turning back to Edward, I asked, "Do you know who '_they_' are?"

He shook his head, "No, but Rose ... Agent Hale confirmed my suspicion that there's a mole inside the FBI and I don't know who it is." He looked to me, "From here on out, we're on our own."

I sat back in my seat and repeated his words in my head, 'We're on our own.'

I don't think I'd ever been so afraid in my life.

* * *

**A/N: If you like this story, please review and let me know what you think.**

**Thank you so so so much for all your reviews to the previous chapter. It means so much to me. You guys are truly amazing.**

**Stay tuned for the next chapter...and thanks for reading. :) :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: SM owns all things Twilight. **

**A huge thanks to my beta SunflowerFran, you are a pleasure to work with. Stilldreaming85, thank you for pre-reading. Twimom1960, thank you also for pre-reading and smacking me upside the head when I was deep in Edward land. I can always count on you to snap me out of it. Xoxo**

**A major thanks to FicSisters and A Different Forest for recommending this story on their sites. I am truly honored.**

**And the biggest thanks goes to you my readers. Your wonderful kind reviews put a smile on my face each time and it encourages me to write more. So thank you very much. **

**Please remember that this is fiction as you read.**

* * *

Chapter 7

EPOV

This was fucking frustrating.

Who the fuck was this mole and why were they doing this?

What did this mayor find out that caused this ruckus?

Whoever they were, why were they so set on killing Bella and probably me, too?

As I drove hastily away from the deceased mayor's house, I kept glancing at Bella. She looked to be miles away, though, this time it wasn't shock covering her face, but rather questions. Her thumb kept grazing over the cover of the book we had just recovered and I couldn't help my curiosity.

"Aren't you gonna see what's inside?"

She remained quiet.

_What' ya expect? She can't hear you, doofus._

I tapped her gently on the shoulder to get her to look at me and repeated the question, nodding towards the book, "Aren't you curious?"

She looked between the book and me, "Yeah, I guess so." She paused, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I'm just thinking as to who could be so desperate to find us? Biggest question of all is, why?"

My eyes went back to the light that was still red and pondered the same questions.

What was so important?

I turned to her watching me and said, "I wish I had the answers. There's someone inside the FBI feeding info to these guys. Otherwise, how would they know we were there? I mean, yeah, they tracked our phones, but it's beyond that. Nobody knew I was here, beside your father and Agent Hale. So the question is, what was the Mayor working on that got him killed? What was so important that now we have targets painted on our backs?"

The traffic light finally changed to green.

I heard Bella sigh, "Maybe the answers are in here." She pointed to the book, but I could tell there was more on her mind.

"What if I don't like what's in here? Mr. Tortuga was a nice man. What if this is all bad? What if he got involved with the wrong people?"

She looked down to the book and sighed again, "So many '_what ifs'."_

At the next light, I turned left and waited until she looked at me before I spoke, "Not to be rude, but you'll never know unless you look."

A small smile graced her lips and I smiled in return.

"You're right. And if I don't, I'll go crazy with all the 'what ifs' in my head."

She took a deep breath and opened the book, "Here we go."

As she paged through, my curiosity kept rising.

Why wasn't she saying anything?

What was in there?

Her brows furrowed in places, and sometimes she'd go back a few pages and other times she'd look up and mumble something to herself.

As we neared the Car Rental place, I was going crazy. I hated not knowing. When I stopped the car, her eyes snapped up, looked around and then focused on me.

"What are we doing here?"

Putting my cap back on, I took the key out of the ignition and turned to her, "We need to change vehicles. They know this car already."

Biting her lip, she nodded and got out of the car, following me into the dealership. Inside, I ushered her to the chairs lining the glass wall.

Turning to the counter, her soft voice made me stop in my tracks.

"Edward, what if they are tracking your credit card? Or mine, for that matter?"

Fuck!

Fuck it all to hell.

I knew that was a possibility.

I was so off my game these last few days. I could blame it on the weather or some other fucking thing, but I knew it was because of me. I was treating her differently than a typical witness. She had gotten to me. Somehow, she had weaseled her way into my heart. Her soft smile, her melodic laughter, her soft spoken, yet feisty character and not to mention that fuck awesome kiss from yesterday. I had kissed many girls in my lifetime, but her kiss had triggered something inside me. A spark that I didn't think existed anymore and yet with one kiss, it had ignited again.

Was it a bad thing?

I didn't know.

Turning back to her, I pinched the bridge of my nose and closed my eyes in frustration, "Yeah. Yeah, you're right. Fuck!"

Her hand clasped mine and I opened my eyes to her smiling face.

"I think I might have a solution."

Frustrated, I asked, "And what would that be?"

She smiled this 'I know something you don't' smile, "For my 18th birthday, my mother sent me a credit cardwith a thousand-dollar limit. Her words were 'in case you wanna spoil yourself.' Can you believe it?" She pulled out said, credit card with a wider smile, "I think it's time I 'spoil' myself, don't you think?"

_God, I loved this woman._

_Wait._

_Whoa!_

_Slow down there, cowboy. _

_Love? _

_Do you even know what love is?_

I threw that train of thought out of my head; laughed aloud and hugged her to me. Releasing her, I stroked her cheek lovingly.

_There's that word again; love._

"You're amazing, you know that, right?"

Fascinated, I watched her cheeks turn red as she leaned into my touch.

Biting her lower lip, she shrugged, "Thanks. It's the least I can do. After all, we are in this together."

After getting a different car, we were on our way again.

Only have driven a few blocks, Bella turned to me, excited, "I know where we can get some clothes. Don't know why I hadn't thought of this earlier."

I chuckled at her, "And where, my fair lady, would that be? You know we can't go back to your place."

She turned sideways to face me, her eyes gleaming, "I know. My sister Alice is a designer. She has a boutique here in Seattle. We can go there. She wouldn't mind."

I nodded, "Alice?"

"Yeah, Alice Whitlock. She's kind of famous in the D.C. and New York area."

My eyes widened, "Whitlock? Jasper Whitlock?"

Her head cocked to the side and eyebrows furrowed, "Yeah, how'd you know?"

I laughed, because it now seemed so obvious. Jasper sometimes talked about his Ally and it all made sensenow.

"Because I work with Jasper, her husband. He's on my team."

She sat back and looked at me, "Come to think of it, Al mentioned it a few timed that Jasper works for the government. I never thought much about it." She paused, "So he's on your team?"

I nodded, "Yeah, we've worked together for a few years already."

Biting her lower lip, she looked out the window, "Huh. Funny, she never mentioned you."

_Was that disappointment I was hearing?_

_Why, yes, I think it was._

Squeezing her hand, I drew her attention back to me, "So where's this boutique?"

"Next light, turn right and it's just around the corner. 'Ally's Boutique.'"

Instead of parking on the street, I drove around back and parked in the alley. Bella took my hand and dragged me along with her; not that I minded.

_Quite the opposite, actually. I loved her skin on mine._

_And there goes my imagination..._

Inside the store, the clerk recognized Bella right away and asked what she could get her. She rattled off the items she needed for herself, and then did the same for me. It was fascinating to watch. They did as she asked, and about half an hour later, we left the store with bags of clothing and shoes.

As we made our way out of the city onto the I-90 heading east, I wondered, "How come we didn't have to pay for anything?"

She chuckled, "When Alice started this company, she always said that I could come and get whatever I wanted, free of charge. After all, I was her guinea pig when she started designing. It was only fair." She laughed louder, "I wonder what she will say to this?"

After her laughter had died down, she said, "I'll pay her once we get to D.C. I wouldn't do this to Alice."

I nodded and changed the subject, "Bella, what's in the book?"

XXXXXX

BPOV

Was it wrong of me that I was looking forward to our road trip?

Was it wrong of me to want to get to know this man sitting beside me?

To watch the color of his eyes change from a brilliant green to a mossy green when his mood changed.

To feel his skin on mine, even if it was just his hand that was stroking mine.

My eyes passed over the pages of the mayor's book, trying to focus on what I had read earlier.

"I'm not sure. It looks like money transfers from two different places. A place called Virdent, in Chicago and also, a construction company out of D.C. Less than ten thousand dollars each month."

Edward's eyes scrunched together in thought.

"Each month?"

I nodded, "Yes, he has the dates written down; each month on the fifteenth. Does this make sense to you?"

He shrugged, "Does it say where the money transferred to?"

I looked through the pages again, "To a company called VA Investments." I pointed to a page and said, "By the looks of it, it's located in the Cayman Islands."

Edward's eyes snapped to mine in surprise, "The Cayman Islands?"

I nodded, "Yes that's what Mr. Tortuga has written down here."

He shook his head, "You know what that means, don't you?"

I shook my head no; intrigued to hear what he would say.

"They're laundering money. Somebody is stealing money and your boss was killed because of it. This is big, Bella Real big. Does it say anything about who is doing it?"

I paged through the book, not finding anything until I landed on the last page. There was a letter addressed to me, in Mr. Tortuga's messy handwriting.

_My dearest Bella,_

_If you are reading this, it means something has happened to me and I'm no longer with you and I'm sorry about that._

_Bella, these numbers are extremely important. I want you to take these to your father, he will know what to do with the information. I trust him._

_Sweetheart, you were like a daughter to me and I am glad that I hired you those years ago. Not only have you been my personal assistant but also my friend, and that's why I trusted you with the location of this book._

_Go live your life. Laugh. Fall in love and always remember that you can conquer anything._

_Best wishes and all my love,_

_Marcus_

I didn't know that I was crying until teardrops fell onto the page. He knew he was gonna die. He knew and didn't say anything. I hated him for it.

Edward's finger brushed away a tear rolling down my cheek, gently cupped my chin and urged me to look at him. His face was etched in worry as I looked to him.

"What is it, baby?"

I hiccupped, "He ... He knew that something was gonna happen to him. He knew!" I slapped my hand down onto the book in frustration.

With a shaky breath, I read the note to Edward.

Once finished, the tears started anew and he pulled me into his warm embrace, letting me soak his t-shirt again. This was the second time that I was crying on this man's shoulder.

_Whatever must he think of me?_

I fell asleep clasping his hand in mine and breathing in his scent. When I awoke, it was dark.

Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I asked, "Where are we?"

Edward's mouth moved, but I couldn't make out what he was saying. It was too dark in the car.

"I can't see what you're saying. It's too dark."

Turning on the interior lights, he said, "An hour west of Minneapolis."

I noticed his eyes bloodshot from fatigue and offered to drive.

He eyed me for a second, "Are you sure?"

I smiled, "Yes, I do know how to drive. Besides you're tired and I just slept."

On cue, he yawned and I chuckled. He really was tired. Pulling into a rest area, we got out and stretched our legs. I must have slept quite a while for us to be this far already.

Turning towards Edward as he stretched his arms above his head, I noticed his shirt as it rode up and exposed part of his stomach. My eyes traveled across the V shape of his hips and the line of hair leading into his pants. My oh my, he is beautiful. I imagined kissing said V and going lower...

_Close your mouth, girl. You're drooling._

My eyes snapped up and focused on Edward's face. He had a crooked grin on his face and his eyes had become darker.

_I was busted._

Clearing my throat, I pointed to the washrooms behind me, "I'm gonna go to the bathroom."

Without waiting for a reply, I scurried into the bathroom. I knew that I was blushing furiously. Looking in the mirror confirmed what I already knew.

Once finished, I made my way back to the car. Leaning against the passenger door was Edward in all his sexiness. His feet crossed by his ankles, his arms crossed over his chest, his tattoo peeking out from the sleeve of his shirt and his hair looking deliciously disheveled. His eyes were watching the washroom door, and a small smile graced his pouty, kissable lips.

Thinking about those lips, made mine tingle again as memories of the kiss shared filled my mind.

_Did he know what he was doing to me?_

Walking towards him, I passed a couple of women and read their lips.

"I wonder who he is. He is fuck-hot," one said.

The other nodded, "Definitely. Maybe we should ask him for his number. See if he'd like to get together later?"

A feeling of ... something traveled down my spine. I did not like the way they talked about him. He was here with me. No one else. He was mine.

I smirked, "Yeah, he is fuck-hot and a hell of a kisser too, among other things." I didn't know that, but neither did they.

They stopped and gaped at me, "You're with him?"

Squaring my shoulders, I nodded, "Yes. He's my husband." One lie on top of another.

Their eyes widened further, "Lucky bitch."

I smirked, and as I walked past them, I added, "I know. Now please stop ogling my man."

Take that, bitches.

Feeling the adrenaline course through me, I sauntered over to Edward, feeling their eyes still on me. Grabbing his hand, I yanked him towards me and kissed his lips. His eyes snapped open in surprise as he gaped at me.

Shrugging my shoulders, I went around to the driver side, noticing the two women hurrying into the bathroom.

As I buckled my seat belt, Edward sat down beside me, his eyes looking at me skeptically. I wanted to smilewith all my might, but I kept a blank expression on my face.

Before closing the door, he turned to me and pointed out the door with his thumb, "What was that?"

I shrugged again, not trusting my voice right now.

He smirked, "If you wanted to kiss me, all you had to do was ask."

_Agent Sexy had me there._

I gaped at him, surprised.

Had he wanted to kiss me?

Before my mind got lost in fantasyland, I saw him say, "I think we should go to Chicago and check out this Virdent place."

"What do you think we'll find?"

He shrugged, "I don't know, but it's worth a try. If your boss thought it was important, then so do I. There has to be something."

I nodded, "Ok. Chicago it is. Now go to sleep."

He chuckled, closed the door and we headed towards Chicago.

After fiddling with the radio for a while, not that I heard anything, Edward settled down, pushing his seat back, he took my hand in his and fell asleep. Absentmindedly, I stroked his hand. His skin was soft to the touch. I wondered if his skin was this soft everywhere. I knew he had muscles, well-defined muscles. I had seen them this morning. Caressing his hand, I wondered what they would feel like underneath my fingertips.

As the night wore on, I thought back to those women at the rest area.

Why had I been so defensive?

_Jealous, maybe? Of what, exactly?_

I had no claim on this man.

_Yeah but, you want to claim him. Want him to claim you, too. In more ways than one._

It was true. I was attracted to him …Very much so.

The past few days had been rough, but with him at my side, it made things more bearable. I also knew that without him here, I'd probably be dead by now.

He was my protector.

My guardian.

He had disclosed his painful past to me; trusted me that much to do so, and it only made me see him more clearly. He was a beautifully strong man, struggling with his demons just as I did with mine.

I thought about all that had transpired today.

Who was this mole Edward kept referring to?

Someone on his team?

Who was behind this money laundering?

It had to be someone important. Why go through such trouble to kill the mayor and hunt us?

As Chicago appeared on the horizon, and watching Edward slumber beside me I realized that something had changed today.

Mr. Tortuga's words rang in my head, '_fall in love.'_

And that is what I was doing.

I was falling in love with Agent Edward Cullen.

* * *

**A/N: Turns out I couldn't wait until Wednesday. You guys blew me away with the response to the last chapter and I figured this was the least I could do to thank you.**

**If you like, please review and let me know what you think.**

**Stay tuned for Chapter 8**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: SM owns all things Twilight.**

**A huge thanks to my beta SunflowerFran. It's a pleasure and an honor to work with you. Stilldreaming85, a big thank you for pre-reading and for the shout out on Facebook. Twimom1960, thank you also for pre-reading and smacking me upside the head when I was deep in Edward land. I can always count on you to snap me out of it. Xoxo**

**A major thanks to FicSisters and A Different Forest for recommending this story on their sites. I am truly honored.**

**And the biggest thanks goes to you my readers. Your wonderful kind reviews put a smile on my face each time and it's a real encouragement. So thank you very much.**

**Please remember that this is fiction as you read.**

* * *

Chapter 8

EPOV

Once we had checked into a Super 8 hotel in Chicago, Bella took a shower while I looked through the mayor's secret book. Page after page he had documented money transfers. I could actually use Rose right now to make sense out of all this information.

After Bella's shower, we went across the street to Burger King and got some much-needed food. We had driven straight from Seattle to Chicago with only the occasional stop.

Back in our room, we sat down by the small table and chowed down. We were starving and when Bella started moaning around her burger, and I shifted in my seat trying to find a comfortable position. Try as hard as I could not to, I imagined her in a different position … with her mouth around something else, making noises just as she was making right now.

Clearing my throat, I asked, "Bella?"

She hummed around her burger and nodded for me to continue.

I put down my half-eaten burger, "Can you teach me sign language?"

She froze, her mouth open and eyes wide.

Putting down her burger, she wiped her mouth and looked at me, "I think I read your lips correctly. You want me to teach you how to sign?"

Feeling like a teenage boy asking for his first kiss, I nodded, "Yes. That's correct."

Her nose scrunched up adorably as she studied me, "Okay, but why?"

I sat back and draped my arm over the back of the chair. Her eyes followed the movement and seemed to settle on the tattoo peeking out of the sleeve.

_Did the tattoos bother her?_

"Because it doesn't hurt to learn new things," I smirked at her.

Her eyes narrowed, "The real reason?"

I leaned forward, "I'd like to learn more about you, and your world."

Her eyes cast downwards as a look of sadness passed over her face, "What if you don't like it?"

On instinct, my hand stroked her cheek until she looked at me, "Why wouldn't I? What happened to you, beautiful?"

She let out a shaky breath, "When I was in school, I had a friend; Lauren was her name. She also wanted me to teach her sign language. I was so happy that I had finally found a friend that wanted to learn my world. Someone to share things with, you know?"

A lone tear tracked down her cheek and my thumb caught it before it landed on the table. I hated the fact that she was in so much pain.

"Well, all of that changed when we got to high school. She was a cheerleader while I spent my time reading. Our friendship just wasn't the way it was before. Soon the rumors started. The sideways glances and pointing fingers I got while walking down the hall. It wasn't hidden either. The entire school knew I could read lips. My locker was broken into a few times; my books were strewn across the hallway."

Her eyes locked on mine, "The rumor was that I was sleeping with my English teacher. That's why I had such good grades." She hiccupped, "Later on I found out that Lauren had started the rumor to gain favor on the cheering leading squad."

I was out of my chair and pulled her up into my arms as she sobbed. My God, she had a rough life behind her. Her mother leaving, the stupid rumor and now her boss being assassinated in front of her.

_How much worse could it get?_

I vowed never to inflict such pain on her.

Soon her tears turned into sniffles, and as she calmed, she looked up to me, "It seems like I cry every day when I'm around you."

I drew back and cradled her sweet face between my palms, "I'm sorry Bella. About everything."

She shook her head and ran her hands over my lips as she whispered, "Don't be. It made me who I am today."

I drew her back into my arms and held her to me a while longer.

It just felt right.

I wanted her in my arms at all times. Where I could protect her.

Love her.

My breath hitched at the word love.

My heart was already there, but my brain was arguing against it. It just couldn't be logical.

_How could I love her after only two days?_

We sat across from each other, and for the next few hours, as she showed me sign language. Mostly just basic stuff but it was interesting to see her world. It was quiet in the room, except for my frustrated groans, followed by her giggles when I couldn't get something right. When she started to yawn, I decided that it would be necessary for her to get some sleep.

As she slept, I paced.

_Could I risk calling Rose and asking for help?_

_How about the Chief? He'd wanna know about his daughter._

Neither one could be the mole. I had worked with both for quite some time. Rose had been the one to warn me yesterday, and the Chief was so concerned about his daughter.

Unless, it was about something more?

I groaned in frustration and paged through the mayor's book again hoping to find some answers. I needed to find out what about Virdent, first. Best bet would be asking the receptionist downstairs. She told me that it was a club in downtown Chicago.

Now I had even more questions.

How was this club related to the construction company in D.C?

Why was this club in the money laundering business?

Drugs, maybe?

Who the fuck was behind all this?

Whoever it was knew how to stay hidden.

Pulling on my hair, I decided to call the Chief and Rose from the phone inside our room.

On the second ring, she answered, "Agent Hale."

"Rose. Chief's office. Two minutes. Be there with your computer." I hung up and paced for the next two minutes, glancing at my watch and Bella frequently. She looked so peaceful as she slept, a small smile on her face.

Two minutes were up. I stroked her cheek and a pushed a strand of brown hair behind her ear before I picked up the phone and dialed.

First ring, "Edward. Where's Bella? Why hasn't she answered my calls? Is she ok? Where are you?"

The Chief kept spewing questions at a rapid pace.

"Chief," I interrupted him quite loudly. "We're okay, she's okay. Sleeping right now. We're in Chicago ..."

"Chicago?" He hollered. "What are you doing in Chicago?"

Oh boy, here we go.

"If you'd let me, I'll explain."

Silence.

Good.

Pacing again, I started, "Rose can you do a search for a club called Virdent? The works, and let me know."

It became quiet, followed by the sounds of a keyboard clicking away.

"Edward, explain," the Chief said sternly.

With a deep breath, I told them what we had found. From Bella lying to him, for which he growled, to finding the mayor's book, to Rose alerting us that our cell phones were bugged. Also the fact that there's a mole inside the FBI, and to where we were now.

"I don't like this, Agent. Not at all. That's my daughter you have there."

I nodded, which he couldn't see, and then looked to Bella as she slept peacefully, "I know that sir."

Before he could respond, Rose interrupted, "I got the info you asked for, Agent. Virdent opened up five years ago by a guy called Dmitri Volkov. Russian. Came to the US seven years ago on a work visa." The keyboard clicked again, "He worked for KW's Construction, owner Laurent Bastelli, for two years. Wonder how he got the money to start a club?"

The keyboard clicked again, "Some DUIs. Nothing much on him except that the Chicago PD thinks he could be involved in drug trafficking."

"Edward, if you are gonna go through with this, and I know my daughter; she won't be able to let this go until she has answers. Kinda like you."

I smiled and stroked Bella's cheek again. It seemed as if I couldn't stop touching her. I was calmer in her presence.

"I need you to be careful when you go to the club. Don't leave her alone. She will most likely argue with you on that, but I need you to stand your ground. Even if she goes to the bathroom, you follow, got that?"

I swallowed, knowing what the Chief was implying, "Yes sir. She comes first."

He grunted in approval, "Two more things. Send the book to me personally, overnight express and get yourself a disposable phone. I want updates. Regularly."

"Of course, sir. Thank you, sir."

With a few more details discussed, we disconnected and I went over the mayor's book again, memorizing it. Good thing I had a great memory. Once Bella was awake, I'll ask her to read it through again and memorize it.

Two minds would be better.

She did as I asked, and as evening rolled around, we had sent the package to her father, gotten a phone and grabbed a quick bite to eat at a small diner just around the corner from the hotel. Conversation flowed easily, and she taught me more sign language. We also discussed our plan for going to the club. We'd play the couples card again, which I was happy to do, and try to find out what was going on behind the scenes. Hopefully we would find something related to the money laundering or the mayor's murder.

Dressing in faded blue jeans and a grey button down, I waited for Bella to emerge from the bathroom. She had been in there for quite some time.

The lock clicked.

Finally.

The door creaked open and nothing in the world could have prepared me for the sight in front of me.

My breath caught in my lungs, my mouth opened wide and my erection strained against my zipper.

Holy.

Fuck.

XXXXXX

BPOV

Oh. My. God.

My breath halted, my heart raced and I felt wetness pooling between my thighs.

_How could it be possible for a man to look this good?_

Before me stood Edward in all his handsome glory. I wouldn't mind staying here and ogling him the entire night. From his feet, my eyes traveled up. From his long, muscular legs and great ass, across his broad torso, that hid all those swirls and colors of ink. Up to his neck, strong jaw, chiseled cheekbones and pouty lips that were formed into an O. Leaving his eyes for last; mine traveled to his hair that was standing in its usual disarray, with his right hand gripping it tightly. Finally, my eyes met his.

_Holy mother of wet panties._

If it were possible, I could have come from that look in his eyes. Mossy green, surrounded dilated pupils. Pure want and lust radiated out of them. Discreetly, I tried to rub my thighs together to get some relief.

His eyes snapped to my legs and followed the movement.

Stroking my cheek, he said, "You are stunning, my beauty."

As if on cue, I felt my cheeks flame.

Leaning forward, he placed a lingering kiss, full of want and desire at the corner of my mouth. My breath hitched as his hand trailed down my arm to my hand, leaving a trail of wanting fire on my skin.

Stepping back with my hand in his, his eyes trailed down my body once more before meeting my eyes again. I was sure he saw the desire in my eyes, too.

"I think it would be wise to leave before I do something not so gentleman-like."

_I wouldn't have complained._

Threading my fingers through his, I squeezed his hand and followed him outside into a waiting cab. The entire ride to the club I kept my eyes focused on the road. Edward's thumb was drawing circles on my hand making me want to climb on his lap and do all the things his eyes were communicating.

At the club, he hastily paid the driver and pulled me out to the waiting line. He kept me close the entire time, his arm around my waist, squeezing me to him.

Sighing, I leaned my head on his shoulder and draped my arm around his waist, too.

If I died right now, I'd die a happy woman having been able to enjoy this closeness with him.

It didn't take long for us to get inside. The club was shrouded in darkness; the only clear lights were at tables surrounding the outskirts of the dance floor, and at the bar. Blinking lights flashed across the dance floor as people danced provocatively to a beat that I couldn't hear. But I felt the bass of the music vibrating through me.

Edward turned to me and said something, but it was too dark for me to make out what he was saying. I shook my head at him and pointed to his lips.

His fist moved in a circular motion across his chest, saying sorry in sign language. He pointed towards the bar and I nodded. Taking my hand again, he pulled us through the crowd towards the bar. Finding two stools, I watched as Edward moved what would be my seat closer to his, and then draped his arm across the back of my shoulders.

Inwardly, I was acting like a teenage girl being asked out by the quarterback of the football team. This was as close as I had come to real first date. Most guys kept their distance once they found out I was deaf; thinking of me as a handicap.

Edward was the complete opposite. He made me feel beautiful and wanted.

Leaning my shoulder against his chest, I watched the bartender approach with a huge smile on his face. Casting a glance towards Edward, I saw the same smile on his face. It appeared as if they knew each other.

"Edward. How are ya, man? What brings you to Chicago?" The bartender's eyes landed on our close proximity and he raised his brow in question.

Edward shook his hand enthusiastically, "Hi Alec. I'm doing great." His eyes met mine briefly, as I watched him speak.

Alec, the bartender, laughed and nodded his head, "I can tell. Who is this beautiful woman that's gotten your attention?"

Edward squeezed my waist and kissed my temple, "This is Isabella, my girlfriend." The entire time he spoke, his eyes were on mine.

Feeling brave, I leaned up and kissed his lips softly. Without hesitation, his lips captured mine and the rest of the world was forgotten. At least on my part. All too soon, Edward pulled away with a delicious red-lipped smile and turned back to Alec, who was wearing still wearing an amused grin.

_If this would go on the entire night, I should have brought more panties._

Alec asked Edward what we wanted to drink. He ordered a beer for himself and I ordered a dirty martini. Noticing Edward's eyebrows rise in question, I smiled at him and shrugged.

I may be deaf, but that doesn't mean that I can't drink.

As the evening wore on and the drinks kept coming, I felt myself loosening up more and more. At one point, as Edward was again chatting with Alec about their time together in Iraq, my mind focused on Edward's hand creeping inside the opening of my dress, caressing my lower back and going lower.

I was wearing a knee-length, midnight blue dress that was open in the back, exposing a lot of skin. Edward's hand had been stroking the area lightly, for the entire night. As the alcohol settled in, both of us seemed to become bolder in our touching.

As his hand settled where my hip met my ass, I grabbed his thigh and squeezed. His head snapped in my direction and he looked at me with wide eyes.

Smiling seductively, my hand traveled up further.

_'Here we come, Mr. Cock.'_ My inner slut was running her hands together in anticipation.

Edward said something to Alec, who excused himself with a smile. My mind was solely focused on getting to the promise land between Edward's thighs.

An inch away, Edward grabbed my hand, pulled me out of my chair, and dragged me onto the dance floor. Spinning me around so that my back was to his front, he pulled me flush against his body.

I moaned and squeezed my thighs together, feeling his hard erection pressing against me.

He felt so big. I squirmed, wanting to feel his skin moving against mine.

His left arm drew across my stomach, securing me to him as his right one started to caress my arm and thigh.

Closing my eyes, I threw my head onto his shoulder, concentrating on the vibration of the bass, as well as his hands caressing my body. His breath was unsteady and I felt his mouth moving against the shell of my ear.

Wanting to see his mouth, I tried to turn around but he would have none of that. His grip on me tightened as he began to sway our hips together.

_I fucking love alcohol._

With my right arm, I reached behind me and gripped his thigh pushing him further into me. His groan vibrated across my back and he bit my neck gently.

_Fuck … that felt so good._

My back arched and I pushed back against his erection.

Suddenly, Edward broke our contact. He spun me around, grabbed my hand and pulled me into the hallway leading to the bathrooms while he checked over his shoulder scanning the crowd. The hallway was full of people playing tonsil hockey.

It was so erotic to watch.

Edward scanned the crowd again.

I was utterly confused.

_What or who did he see?_

Before I could ask, he pushed me against the wall beside the women's bathroom and attacked my mouth with hungry kisses. Still feeling the alcohol coursing through my veins, I returned his kisses with passion.

Throwing my arms around his neck, I wove my fingers into his hair and pulled him closer. His left hand angled my head to give him better access and he thrust his tongue into my mouth, starting our own game. His right hand grazed my nipple and I moaned, thrusting my hips against his, feeling his erection pressing against the hollow of my thighs.

_Let's do that again._

I did it again and his hand grasped my left thigh and hitched it over his, making the dress slide up. As our tongues played, our hips started the vertical tango. It was a delicious, erotic dance that I wanted to continue privately.

Detaching my mouth from his, I whispered in his ear, "Take me home, Edward."

He stilled his movements and looked at me, asking if I was sure.

I was sure that I wanted this man. I wanted to show him that I loved him. I was still too chicken shit to say it, but I could show him.

Kissing his lips gently, I nodded and unhooked my legs from around his waist, "Take me home."

He nodded and took my hand, leading me hastily out of the club and into a waiting cab.

Before we reached the hotel, I wanted to ask him who he had seen in the club but his hands and skillful tongue were a major distraction.

* * *

**A/N: If you like, please review and let me know what you think.**

**Any guesses on what or who he saw?**

**Also a little lemony goodness coming next chapter.**

**Stay tuned for Chapter 9 ...**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Hello my lovelies. I'm sorry this is late. RL has been hectic, to say the least..but I'm back.**

**Thanks to my sunshine, SunflowerFran for her awesome skills as a beta.**

**Thanks to twimom1960 and stilldreaming85 for pre-reading. Your ladies are something special.**

**Remember that this is fiction as you read. Enjoy:)**

* * *

Chapter 9

EPOV

I was so fucking lost.

Lost in the way she tasted on my tongue.

Lost in the way my skin prickled where her skin met mine.

_How far was it to the hotel?_

I needed her almost as much as I needed air to breathe. That was probably an exaggeration, but I couldn't care less right now.

Slipping my hand beneath the dress, I caressed her hip as my mouth sucked the soft spot just below her ear.

She moaned and bit my shoulder, hard.

_Fucking hell._

I bucked my hips as the sensations of her bite traveled down my spine.

At this rate, we'd never make it back to the hotel room.

Cradling her head in my hand, I brought her lips back to mine. Slowly my hand crept from her neck down her arm and grazed her peaked nipple.

She moaned into my mouth and bucked her hips forward. Her hands buried in my hair and pulled, which made me groan into her mouth, sucking on her lower lip in the process.

_Like I said, I was lost._

Nothing and no one mattered right now, except her.

She smelled so heavenly.

Coconut and lavender would be my favorite fragrances from now on.

I was sure of it.

A throat cleared and brought me back to reality. Reluctantly, I let her go and looked to the driver. He had a bored look on his face, as though he had seen this many times.

"Eleven fifty, sir," he said with his thick accent.

I pulled out a twenty and threw it at him, "Keep the change." He smiled briefly, but my focus was on the disheveled woman looking at me with lust in her eyes.

Grabbing her hand, I dragged her into the hotel and into a waiting elevator. Her giggles made the hair on my arms stand at attention.

_I'm such a goner._

Breathing a sigh of relief once the doors closed, I pushed her against the far wall and reattached my lips to her neck. Grabbing her thighs, I hoisted her legs over my hips and let her feel what she was doing to me.

She moaned and clawed at my hair, "Edward."

_Fuck._

_I needed to hear that again._

Sucking on the delicate skin of her neck, I bucked my hips against the sweet spot between her thighs.

_There's that moan._

She froze and tapped my shoulder forcefully, "Edward."

_So delicious._

She tapped my shoulder again, "Edward, people are staring."

_Ok, I heard that._

Releasing her legs from around my waist, I looked at her expression. Shuffling so that she was in front of me to hide my prominent desire, I turned to see the amused and horrified expressions of an elderly couple.

The woman was gaping at us while her husband, grinned and winked.

Urging Bella to move out of the elevator, I cleared my throat, "Our apologies. Ma'am. Sir."

Before the elevator closed again, I heard the woman chastise her husband, "Harold. Stop staring."

He chuckled, "Oh Margaret, don't you remember when we were young and in love?"

_Love?_

_Was this what it was?_

Bella reached into my pocket, and in doing so, brought me back to the sinfully beautiful woman in front of me.

I cocked my eyebrow at her, "What are you doing?"

She smirked and looked at me from beneath her lashes, "Getting what I want."

_Switch._

_Flipped._

_Coherent thoughts._

_Gone._

Grabbing the key card, I yanked the door open and backed her into our room, slamming the door behind me and flicking the lock.

Her eyes on me and her lower lip firmly lodged between her teeth, she backed up while removing her 'fuck me heels'.

Following her, I discarded my footwear and pinned her against the wall; again.

_Nowhere to go, my sweetness. You are mine._

Her nimble fingers played with the buttons of my shirt. I nodded at her and caressed her cheek as she finished her task.

_Gorgeous and all mine._

The muscles in my torso flexed as her hands slid upward and pushed the shirt off my shoulders, letting it fall to the floor. Her eyes were trained on the ink covering my upper body. I watched, fascinated, as she licked her lips.

_Fuck_.

My dick twitched once again in the confines of my jeans.

Groaning, I grabbed her and crushed her lips to mine as my hips fused with hers.

She moaned and wrapped her legs around me tightly.

_Clothes._

_Too many fucking clothes._

Grabbing the neckline of her dress, I pulled it down.

_No bra._

_Hallelujah._

Her dress slipped down to her waist as my focus went straight to those delicious mounds. Licking my lips, I sucked on one as my hand sought out the other one and swirled my finger around the peak.

She moaned, pushing her chest into my waiting mouth while yanked on my hair. Her legs tightened around my waist, bucking her hips against mine, repeatedly.

Feeling her heat through my jeans, I couldn't help but to copy her movements.

Naked.

I needed her naked.

Stepping back, I kissed her nipple once more and she whimpered in protest.

Don't worry, my sweetness. I'm not done yet.

Releasing her legs, I watched as the dress pooled around her ankles.

_My God._

_Sin incarnate._

Before me stood Bella, clothed in only a scrap of cloth women nowadays call underwear. To me it looked more like a few strings tied together.

Turning on the bedside lamps, I turned back to her, my hand on the button of my jeans. Her lust-filled eyes followed the movement while her thighs rubbed together.

Popping the button, I caressed her cheek making her look at me, "You're so beautiful."

_Cue the blush._

_Sexy as fuck._

Her hands met mine at the zipper of my pants, dragging it down painfully as my lips found hers again. Grabbing the thong, I yanked it down her hips and caressed her thighs, going higher and higher until I finally felt her wet heat.

_Fucking hell._

She was so wet.

Moving my finger between her wet folds, I was granted a desperate moan as her hips pressed against my hand. Circling her clit, she moaned and yanked my pants down, boxers included.

_Someone is desperate._

Her warm small hand wrapped around my dick and now I was the one moaning and moving my hips. Pushing one finger inside her, I imagined it was my dick pushing into her tight heat.

So tight.

So wet.

_I could hardly wait._

She gasped into my mouth and looked down, seeing my dick moving in her hand as her thumb spread the bead of precum as she squeezed.

Closing my eyes, I let myself feel.

Her hand around my cock.

Her breathless whimper of want as my finger kept moving leisurely inside of her.

Her soft skin beneath mine.

As I added another finger, her eyes flew up to mine as she whimpered and bit her lip. I hoisted her legs over my hips, as my dick pressing against what he desperately wanted. I carried her to the bed, laying her down as I crawled over and settled between her thighs.

Caressing her cheek, wanting her look at me, I whispered, "This changes everything."

Something passed in her eyes, too quickly for me to decipher before she whispered, "It already has."

Enfolding her legs around me, I pushed forward.

XXXXXX

BPOV

This is happening.

Really happening.

I was no stranger to sex. I mean, yes I was, but not on how it worked. I had watched videos and even had a few toys of my own, but this was different.

Felt different.

My heart hammered in my chest as Edward pushed into me.

He felt so big.

His gaze locked with mine, his eyes a beautiful mossy green. The words 'I love you' were on the tip of my tongue.

Oh, how I wanted him to know.

Breaking his gaze, I bit into his shoulder as the feeling of being stretched and filled for the first time overcame me.

A shiver of anticipation ran down my spine.

No, he's not gonna hurt me. I know he won't.

I want this.

I want him.

This way I can show him my love. With my body.

Feeling his groan as it vibrated through me, he pushed forward harshly, ending my virgin life.

He's so fucking big.

His hands on both sides of me held him above as his head landed forcefully on my shoulder, breathing heavily. Wet kisses trailed from my collarbone to my jaw and back again.

Breathing deeply, I started to relax.

He felt good inside me.

Really good.

His lips met mine again and he kissed me with passion. As my tongue stroked his, his hips drew back and pushed forward again.

I gasped at the sensation.

Something was happening.

It was bubbling up inside, and settling in the pit of my stomach.

Gripping his biceps, I kissed his neck and up to his ear.

His thrusts sped up and the bubbling feeling in my stomach intensified.

Oh God.

Wrapping my legs around his waist, he slipped in deeper. His eyes snapped up to meet mine before his mouth was back on mine.

Thrusts.

Moans.

Sweet friction.

So fucking good.

Wet kisses.

I was so in love with his kisses.

His right hand trailed down my chest, pinching and massaging my pert peeks before gripping my thigh and hoisting it higher over his hip.

Oh. My. God.

Moaning, I buried my hands in his hair as his lips wrapped around my nipple, sucking hard.

Bucking my hips to meet his thrusts, we found a rhythm.

He pushed.

I whimpered and pushed back.

Feeling the coil tighten, his eyes snapped up to mine.

"So ... fucking ... sexy." Each word was punctuated by a forceful thrust.

"Oh God." At this point, I would have given anything to hear his voice.

I wanted it.

Needed it.

His fingers wrapped around my thigh, traveled up my leg and pinched my clit.

Here we go.

"Edward ..."

Thrust.

"I'm ... Oh God ... I'm gonna..."

Throwing my head back in absolute pleasure, the coil snapped and sent me flying. Clinging to his shoulders, I clenched around him.

His thrusts sped up.

One.

Two.

Three.

His grunts vibrated through me.

Kissing my lips, he stilled.

Twitching.

Filling me.

As our breathing regulated, our kisses turned from passionate to sweet pecks.

The alcohol had worn off, I could tell.

Swiftly pulling out, Edward landed heavily beside me.

So beautiful.

My eyes landed on his swollen lips and I watched as he asked, "Are you okay?" A tinge of pink covered his face.

Was he embarrassed?

Feeling my own cheeks flush, I nodded slightly, "Hmm. I'm ... good."

Ok, so maybe I was still feeling the alcohol.

My cooch had been given a proper workout, she was happy, and yet sad about what had transpired.

Happy because it was Edward who had pleasured her.

And sad, because once he found out that he was my first, he was going to be mad. But when did I have time to tell him, everything happened so fast … And the alcohol.

There would be time to deal with that. Now it was sleep time.

Yawning, my eyes drooped.

Feeling the bed dip, I watched a very naked, very sexy Edward pull the blanket over my body. Kissing my temple briefly, he disappeared into the bathroom.

I was asleep as soon as the door closed.

-x-

As the morning colors filled the room, I awoke, feeling my bladder demanding relief.

With last night's activities on my mind, I turned to see a sleeping Edward lying on his side beside me. The blanket was around his waist, leaving his sculpted chest bare for me to enjoy. His hand was outstretched in my direction, the blanket in his fist. His eyes moved beneath his lashes and I wondered what he was dreaming.

As long as it's not a nightmare.

No, I was definitely not a fan of those.

My fingers lightly traced over his pouty lips and I watched them pucker and then smile slightly.

A good dream, it seemed.

Brushing his hair away from his eyes, I smiled and got out of bed, wincing as the pain shot through my center.

Wobbling to the bathroom, I relieved myself and that's when I noticed a streak of blood on my inner thigh.

Oh no.

Had Edward seen it?

Eyeing the shower, I knew what to do. While in the shower, my mind went back to last night.

_His big warm hands caressing me._

_Making me feel wanted._

_Those beautiful lips making me forget about everything else._

_And oh God, his cock._

_So much pleasure._

Rubbing my thighs together, I winced again, feeling the stinging pain. The warm water helped to soothe the pain.

In a bathrobe and my hair wrapped in a towel, I exited the bathroom.

Edward sat on the bed with his hands buried in his hair and a worrisome expression on his face.

What had changed?

"Edward?" His head snapped up. "What's wrong?"

His eyes cast down to the bed and I followed, noticing the red stain on the sheets.

Oh no.

He knew.

Biting my lip, I met his eyes again before looking to his mouth to read his lips.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

My eyes cast down to the carpeted floor.

What could I say?

_I was drunk?_

Yeah, right.

Looking up, I watched him pull on his jeans as his eyes watched me expectantly.

"I'm sorry. I wanted to tell you, but ..." I trailed off.

But what?

I had no excuse.

He slipped on his t-shirt, his eyes searching my face, "But what?"

Twisting my fingers, I stood up straight, looking at him directly, "But nothing. I was clearly occupied with other thoughts. Does it matter to you, Edward?"

It looked as if he scoffed, "Does it matter?"

He shook his head, "It matters because I could have seriously hurt you. It matters because it's not to be taken lightly. It matters ..." He trailed off, gripping his hair.

His body slouched forward, his mossy eyes never wavering on mine, "It matters because it would have been different."

My breath hitched.

Did that mean what I think it meant?

"Different?" My voice was barely a whisper, but he heard it anyway.

He stilled, his eyes intense on mine, "Special."

_Special_.

The word spun around in my head consuming every other thought.

I snapped back to the present as Edward stood in front of me, caressing my cheek.

Watching his lips, he said, "I'll give you a few minutes to get dressed. We have a long day ahead of us."

Once dressed, and with my hair decent, he appeared again from the bathroom, grabbing our bags and keycards.

Curious, I asked, "Where are we going?"

Pulling the cap over his hair, he turned to me, "To my parents' house in Virginia. You'll be safe there."

Thinking back to last night at the club, I remembered what I wanted to ask him.

"Edward?"

Halfway out the door, he turned to face me again.

"What did you see last night?"

Anger covered his face as he answered.

"Someone I wish I hadn't."

* * *

**A/N: If you like it, please review and let me know what your thoughts are.**

**thanks for reading and reviewing. You guys are the best.**

**stay tuned for Chapter 10...**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Thanks to my sunshine, SunflowerFran for her awesome skills as a beta. You truly rock my world.  
**

**Thanks to twimom1960, my momma bear, and stilldreaming85 for pre-reading. Your ladies are something special.**

**Remember that this is fiction as you read. Enjoy:)**

**P.S.: I'm sorry for not responding to all your fantastic reviews, it's been busy. But know that I love, read and appreciate everyone of them. Thank you so much. xoxo**

* * *

Chapter 10

EPOV

I was fucking furious.

Confused ...

Who the hell knew?

_Welcome to Ohio_

Why hadn't she told me?

The last time I had taken a girl's virginity had been junior year in high school. My girlfriend at that time, Tia Messer, really had wanted to fit in with the cool kids. You know, the ones that are having sex? And if I was being honest with myself, I had wanted it, too. What guy wouldn't?

But this ... This was different.

This situation was different.

Fuck, everything was different.

Running a hand through my hair, I chanced a glance at Bella. Legs crossed on the seat, she watched the scenery fly by, a small smile gracing her lips.

We hadn't talked much since we left Chicago.

What was she thinking?

The image of the blood - smeared sheet flashed through my mind ...

Again.

Fuck.

Her first time should have been special and what had I done? I had fucked her.

Fuck.

I couldn't stop gripping my hair. There was no better way to describe it. It had been raw fucking.

Desire.

Passion.

Lust.

Want.

All rolled into one.

Did I regret it?

Yes and no.

To feel her ... Fuck ... Skin on skin had been euphoric. Her moans of pleasure; the way she bit my shoulder, her tight ...

_Ok, getting back to __reality, now__._

Taking her virginity so harshly? Fuck yeah; I regretted that.

Still ... There was no going back now.

Glancing at her peaceful face one more time, I concentrated on my conversation with Alec.

_"What are you doing in Chicago, man?" I surely hoped he had some answers. "I thought you lived in Texas."_

_He filled a glass with some kind of concoction and slid it to a man waiting before __resuming__. "I did." His __sad eyes __turned to me, before continuing, "She found our __neighbor __more interesting than me. So, here I am."_

_I took a swig from my beer, "Sorry man. That's rough." I had some experience in the heartbreak, __department, too._

_Bella licked her lip seductively while her hand grasped my thigh. Dammit woman, I need to concentrate. But fuck if I didn't like her touch. _

_Clearing my throat, I tried concentrating on __Alec; tried __being the operative word._

_"Why Chicago though?"_

_Wiping the counter, he refilled Bella's glass, __and then attended__ to other patrons before returning. _

_What was it now? Her third glass? It seemed like alcohol loosened her up. _

_For the better. _

_Yeah, my cock liked her hand travelling up my thigh towards him. He was tapping at my zipper constantly trying to get closer to her._

_Alec put another beer in front of me._

_Oh, was it __empty already?_

_"My __bunkmate__ in Iraq, Jerry Bruner, told me about this club when I crashed on his couch after ... you know. So I figured it was worth a shot. Now look at me." He stretched out his arms with a big smile on his face, "I got a great job, a different woman every night if I __want, __and a house just outside the city limits. I love it man."_

_I laughed with him and then asked, "This job pays that well?"_

_He smiled wider, "Oh you bet. You should come see it sometime. Maybe I could hook you up with Dimitri. He's always looking for some muscle."_

_Like he needed anymore. _

_As soon as we had walked in, I had noticed 'Dimitri's muscle' all around the club. All looked to be Russian. No facial expressions and all carrying. A little ruckus and the nearest 'muscle' reached for his 9mm._

_Something definitely was going on here._

_All my senses concentrated on the beautiful woman beside __me; dancing __with me. _

_Until I saw him._

Dialing my phone with Bella watching me curiously, she answered on the first ring, "Hale."

"Rose, I know who the mole is."

XXXXXX

Agent Newton POV

"Ugh," I grunted while slamming into her. Mr. Bastelli sure knew which whore I liked best and he always provided. This, along with a hefty deposit into my bank account, was my payment for doing most of his work.

The intercom buzzed.

Yanking on the slut's hair, she whimpered in pain. Good thing she barely spoke English.

Slamming into her again with force, I put my finger to her lips and told her to be quiet. She understood and put her head back onto her hands.

Picking up the phone, I answered, "Yeah?"

"We're descending into Dulles and Mr. V wants to see you as soon as possible," the pilot stated.

"Ok," I grunted out as I hung up the phone.

Grabbing the slut's hips tightly, I thrust into her a few more times before coming in spurts into her wet heat, grunting the entire time.

Fuck that was good.

I don't know if she got off and I didn't care, either. She was paid to please me, not the other way around.

Slapping her ass one more time, I smiled as she yelped in pain as I pulled out of her, disposing of the condom in the trash before pulling my pants back on and buckling my seat belt.

She … I don't know her name and I didn't care, put on her clothes as well and took a seat in the back.

Oh, the luxury of flying in a private plane.

-x-

"I'm here to see Mr. V."

His secretary didn't like me. It had been this way from the beginning.

What I wouldn't give to have her on her knees in front of me, teaching her respect.

She looked at me with a bored expression, "He's expecting you, Agent."

Winking at her, I walked into Mr. V's office, closing the door behind me.

Taking a seat, I waited until he finished with his phone call.

"Let me call you back."

Pausing, he motioned for me to take a seat.

"Yes, Tesoro. I have a client waiting."

I smiled.

_Client my ass._

"Ok, darling, you have fun shopping." With that, he hung up the phone.

Folding his hands on the table, he looked at me, "Agent Newton. How was Chicago?"

Adjusting myself in the seat, I replied, "We found them ..."

"But you lost them, I know."

Having Mr. V furious, was not a good idea.

"I know sir but I will find them. You have my word."

His steel grey eyes looked me over, "That's what you said before I sent you to Chicago. What has changed?"

"Cullen and the girl have gotten into some kind of a romantic relationship. All we have to do is separate them and threaten to hurt the other. It's fairly simple."

Leaning back into his seat, he took a deep breath, thinking it over. "What makes you so sure it'll work?"

I smirked, "Because I know Cullen. He will do anything to protect the girl."

Mr. V nodded and slowly smiled, "Good. Good. Then that's your assignment. Get Cullen away from the girl and bring him to the warehouse."

Standing and buttoning my jacket, I shook his hand, "Thank you, sir. I won't let you down."

His hand squeezed mine tighter, "You best not, because you know what will happen if you do."

That I did.

I had seen him take care of other men that defied him. His favorite was playing Russian roulette with them. They knew they were gonna die, but that was torture.

"Of course, sir."

Smiling with glee, I left his office, groping his secretary's ass as I passed. She yelled and cursed at me while I laughed all the way to the exit.

Cullen was gonna get it.

The fucker had been promoted to my rightful position. He didn't deserve it. None of it. And his team of posies would follow _me_ around one day. Mr. V had shown me the possibilities on how to make it happen and it looked as if the day would come soon.

Edward Cullen was as good as dead.

The Chief's daughter, too.

XXXXXX

BPOV

"How many people have you ... you know?"

Edward swung his head in my direction, mouth open wide.

The sun was setting and we had just crossed the Virginia State line. It had been a long day, stopping for gas, bathroom breaks and getting burgers from McDonald's a few hours ago. From Chicago, conversation had been light, the previous night had not been mentioned.

Even though that was all I could think about.

We had just left, from what I hoped was our last stop for today. We had both gotten coffee for the last stretch of this trip.

It was a bittersweet feeling.

I was going to see my dad and sister again.

However, on the other hand, Edward and I might go our separate ways after that. We had never put a title on our relationship, or whatever it was, we were doing. I was a witness and he was the agent assigned to protect the witness. We had crossed the line last night, but what did it mean for us?

Over the past few days I had fallen for this man ... hard, but that was no guarantee that he felt the same.

Last night could have meant anything to him. Exactly what, I may never know.

I would think about it later. For now, I was going to concentrate on the time we still had together and enjoy it all.

Edward looked between the road and me, the same unbelievable expression on his face.

_So adorable. _

_Sexy. _

It looked like he swallowed before answering, "You really wanna know?"

I nodded, "Yeah, why not? I wouldn't have asked otherwise."

His fingers twisted around the steering wheel with force, "Fifteen."

I did read his lips correctly, right?

_He did say fifteen?_

_Yes, yes he did._

I swallowed and looked out the window, repeating the number in my head.

Fifteen people died by his hand.

_Fifteen. _

A double-digit figure.

Then I remembered what I had told him that morning after his nightmare. He had done it for this country … For freedom.

He had a dark expression on his face.

Worry.

Sadness.

Anger.

Reaching over, I rubbed his shoulder, "Hey, are you okay?"

The unbelievable expression was back, "You're asking me if I'm okay? Seriously?"

I shrugged, "Um, yeah?"

A small smile graced his lips, making me want to kiss them and do all kinds of other things.

_Like naked stuff._

_Ok, Bella, focus._

The light was back in his eyes when he turned to me to answer, "Yeah, I'm okay. Thanks, Bella."

His hand grasped mine and he pulled it to his lap; keeping it there as we drove, stroking it absentmindedly, making me one happy woman.

Our conversation dwindled when evening came since I couldn't make out what he was saying anymore.

-x-

After midnight, we pulled into his parents' driveway and my nerves started to come on me in waves.

What are they gonna think?

_Will they like me?_

_Man, why am I thinking that?_

_They don't care. _

_I'm just crashing here for a night, maybe. Edward probably told them I was just a witness._

_Just a witness. _

_I was really starting to dislike that word._

_Holy fuck, look at that house. _

My jaw dropped.

It was dark, but lights from the windows lit the house on the outside. Two stories, big windows covered by drapes and a navy blue door. In addition, a three bay garage was nestled in the woods. The perfect place; beautiful and peaceful.

And I hadn't even seen the inside yet.

Edward led me into the garage through a side door and up a set of stairs, opening the door at the top. This place was gigantic. It was an open area, with a king-sized, four-poster bed on the far wall and a big TV on the opposite wall. Black carpet lined the entire space and the bed had dark grey bedding.

This was a man's place.

Edward set our bags down and turned to my gaping face.

Smiling, he ran a hand through his hair, "Um, yeah. Welcome to my bedroom."

He looked so nervous.

I walked in further, "More like paradise."

Twirling around, I took it all in, "This place is incredible. I wish I had a bedroom like this when I grew up."

A tinge of pink covered his cheeks.

Why was he embarrassed?

This was heaven.

Walking towards the bed, I let the smooth fabric of the comforter run through my fingers, "And this bed. I mean wow."

Edward walked towards me and gently tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, his eyes smoldering, "I've never brought someone up here, besides my parents."

My throat felt dry. He was so close. Just a tiny step forward and I could kiss him again. I could pull him onto this bed. I could take off his clothes. I could ... Oh God I needed to concentrate.

Clearing my throat, my eyes fixed on his lips, "Um, I could leave."

His close proximity was clouding my judgment and rendering me stupid.

He licked his lips, his hand still on my cheekbone and shook his head, "No."

My hands fisted the shirt by his waist, ready to pull him closer. Wetness rushed between my legs and I had the urge to rub my thighs together.

He leaned in and I held my breath waiting for his kiss.

It never came.

He stepped back, running that fucking hand through his hair again.

I blinked; confused.

I watched, while my heart sank.

Edward with his hand still in his hair went over to the dresser and pulled out a shirt. He looked at it with his brows furrowed; his torso rose and fell as if he had taken a deep breath. After a few agonizing seconds, he shook his head and handed me the shirt.

Watching his lips, he said, "I'll go change in the bathroom. You can take the bed and I'll take the couch."

I started to protest, but he held up his hand, "Please don't argue. It's late and tomorrow is gonna be a long day. We need the rest."

With my thoughts racing a hundred miles per hour, I watched him enter the bathroom and close the door behind him.

_What was going on in that __beautiful__ head of his?_

Changing into Edward's intoxicating shirt, I thought back to this morning when I had asked him who he saw at the club. His only response had been 'someone I wish I hadn't.' He wouldn't elaborate, and when he had been on the phone with Rose, he told her that he knew who the mole was, and to meet him here in the morning.

Come to think of it, I had been totally left out. I had no clue what was going on.

It was time to rectify that.

That stubborn man in the bathroom was going give me answers one way or another.

As I settled into the bed, Edward emerged wearing a pair of sweatpants that hung low on his hips, revealing that delicious V.

And nothing else.

_Was he seriously trying to kill me?_

Biting my lip, I watched him prepare the couch as a makeshift bed.

_Offer him the space next to you._

_Um..._

_Pick your jaw off the floor and ask him._

_Damn, look at those ass dimples._

Edward turned around, catching me watching him and my face flamed.

He smirked and took a seat on the edge of the bed, "Like what you see?"

"I ... Um ..."

_Good one, Swan._

He grabbed my hand, his expression turning somber, "Bella."

"Yeah?" I squeezed his hand, my eyes starting to droop. It had been such a long day and this bed was so fucking comfy.

He scratched his scruffy cheek, averting his eyes once before looking down to our entwined hands, "Bella, we need to talk about last night."

_Oh._

I straightened up a bit, "What about it?"

_God, I'm so tired. Can't this wait?_

His fingers traced the veins along my hand while his eyes met mine. Seeing that I was half-asleep, he said, "Get some sleep. We'll talk in the morning."

Burrowing into the covers, yawning, I mumbled, "Ok. Morning. Talk. Good."

Dream Edward was beckoning me to join him. He was lying naked in a field of flowers.

I felt something scratch my cheek and it woke me … again.

I looked at Edward.

He was so close.

Smelling good enough to eat.

Stroking his cheek, I whispered, "Last night was fantastic."

His wide green eyes were the last thing I saw before dream Edward had my full attention.

-x-

Something bright filtered through the darkness causing my eyes to open. The sun was shining through one of the windows and it looked to be a beautiful day.

Then I realized where I was.

Edward's bed.

Wearing his shirt.

At his parents' house.

In Virginia.

Oh fuck.

Squeezing my eyes shut, I tried to get my breathing under control. Once it was regular, I looked over to where Edward slept, but found his 'bed' empty.

_Maybe he's in the bathroom?_

No. The door was open and the light was out.

_Where is he?_

Before I went searching, I had to take care of my morning business. Afterwards, I pulled on my sweatpants and crept towards the door, giving myself a pep talk along the way.

_Take a deep breath. You can do this._

_It's meeting new people!_

_You'll be fine._

With my hand on the knob, I took a deep breath and opened the door. Yelping in surprise, I jumped back with my hand over my heart. Edward stood in the doorway, still wearing those sinful sweats, no shirt, and a tray full of breakfast.

Settling on the couch, I surveyed the deliciousness he brought; omelets, fruit, coffee and toast. My stomach rumbled at the sight. Fast food just wasn't for me. I was more of a homemade meal, kinda gal.

A tap on my shoulder kept me from salivating all over the food. Looking up, I was met with Edward's amused expression. Also, the fucker had put on a shirt. Now why would he do that? I was enjoying the view.

_Lips, Bella. Focus on his beautiful lips. He's talking._

Focusing, I watched him say, "My mom made breakfast."

_So, they knew that I was here._

I cleared my throat, trying to swallow around the nervous lump in my throat, "This looks great. I'm starving."

He smiled his crooked, wet-panties smile, "Yeah, me too." He poured us each a glass of orange juice.

"She's anxious to meet you. Both of them are."

My hand shook as I tried to cut off a piece of my omelet, the lump in my throat intensifying.

_Dear God, what are they gonna think?_

Before I was able to go crazy about meeting his parents, his hand caressed my cheek before lifting my chin to meet his mossy greens.

_My favorite. _

"Don't worry, Baby, they know why you're here." He smirked, "Besides my mom is desperate to meet the woman that got to spend the night in my room."

My eyes widened, "What?"

His cheeks tinged pink, "Yeah, I've never brought a girl up here before. This was always my sanctuary. My man pad, you know?"

I nodded, completely baffled and excited that he was opening up to me, "Um, thanks?"

_What was I supposed to say to that?_

I was still squealing on the inside at the fact that I was _the_ only girl that had been in his room.

In his bed.

Well, this room and bed, but it was something.

He smiled and said, "You're welcome."

Nothing else was said as we chowed down our breakfast. I may have moaned a few times due to the delicious flavor bursting inside my mouth. My omelet was almost all gone when I made the mistake of looking at Edward. His plate was empty and his dark eyes were solely focused on my lips, his fists clenched tightly by his side.

Swallowing, I set my plate down. His right hand reached out and wiped the corner of my mouth, and with my eyes still focused on his, I swiped my tongue over his thumb.

His eyes snapped up and met with mine. Something passed in his eyes and he withdrew his hand, dragging it through his hair again.

His torso rose and fell as he took a deep breath. "We need to talk about Chicago."

I remembered him mentioning it before I fell asleep.

Crossing my legs on the couch, I faced him. "Okay."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Looking down at my hands, I contemplated my answer. I wanted to tell him it was because I loved him, but then again I could be setting myself up for heartache. He had made me feel wanted and beautiful that night, but afterwards it had been back to business. He still held my hand, caressed my cheek, but that didn't necessarily mean anything. It was confusing.

Clearing my throat, I looked up at him, "Do you know of any other twenty-eight year old virgins?"

He hesitated.

"Of course not."

I swallowed around the lump in my throat once again. "To answer your question, I didn't say anything because I was too caught up in the moment ... In you. And I was embarrassed, I didn't know how you would react to it being my first time. I had no way to know what to expect or how it would feel."

Edward jumped up from the couch and started to pace, his hand again in his hair. At this rate, he was gonna pull it out. I couldn't let that happen.

Standing, I took his hand and pulled it from his hair. His agonizing eyes looked down to my hand holding his before meeting my eyes.

"I'm sorry I hurt you. It wasn't my ..."

Putting a finger to his lips, I shook my head, "Please don't."

He started to protest, but I just shook my head more firmly. "Honestly, don't. I'm fine. Yes, it hurt, but it was replaced with pleasure; more than I ever imagined. So please believe me when I say, it was fantastic. I wouldn't change it for anything."

The words '_I love you_' almost spilled out, but I bit my tongue before it happened.

Edward's eyes softened and he kissed my finger that was still on his lips before taking my hand in his. Pulling me closer, he looked back and forth between my eyes, "May I kiss you?"

I snorted. "What?"

His eyes twinkled as he grinned at me, "May I kiss you? Properly?"

He was serious.

_He was fucking serious_.

I think I nodded, because the next thing I knew, his lips were on mine, gently massaging my top lip between his. Tilting my head to the side, he swiped his tongue across my lower lip and I gasped, feeling his tongue caressing mine. My eyes closed and my hands gripped his hair, pulling him closer, still. His hands on my hips squeezed and he slowed the kiss down, pecking my lips twice before smiling brightly.

"Thank you."

I nodded, my head still in this Edward-induced haze. He was one fantastic kisser.

His hand caressed my cheek, "Bella, would you like to meet my parents?"

I smiled and nodded, getting lost in his brilliant smile. I don't think I had seen him this happy since we met.

He took the tray and opened the door, turning back to me once more.

"Bella, I _will_ make it up to you." Then the fucker winked at me.

Winked.

I wanted to ask if that was a promise, but I think I dropped my mouth on the floor in his room.

The entire way down the stairs, I glared at the back of his head for leaving my speechless, but inwardly I was doing a happy dance. If his words meant what he implied, I was going see and experience my Edward naked again.

I wanted to ask when, but he opened the door that led into the house and all thoughts about naked Edward were pushed to the back of my head. His parents sat by the kitchen table, grinning at both us when we walked in. Edward deposited the tray on the kitchen counter and then turned to me. I stood frozen to the floor by the door leading from the garage.

He smiled softly and beckoned me to come closer. Somehow my feet carried me towards him and he grasped my hand in his, squeezing it gently.

Edward's mom stood up from her chair and walked towards me, offering her hand with a smile on her face, "I'm Esme, Edward's mother."

Her gaze landed on our hands and I disentangled mine from Edward's to take hers. "Bella. Bella Swan."

Edward walked over to his father and they started talking. I turned back to his mother, "It's nice to meet you Mrs. Cullen."

Her smile could have split her face as she beamed at me, "Oh, the pleasure is all mine. We have waited a long time for this."

_What did that mean?_

Her head suddenly snapped towards the door, as did everyone else's.

She turned to me, "Excuse me."

I nodded and watched her walk away. Edward's father turned to me, holding out his hand, "It's nice to meet you, Bella. The name's Carlisle."

His smile was so warm and inviting that I smiled in return, "Nice to meet you too, Dr. Cullen."

I didn't catch what he said next as my eyes were drawn to the gorgeous blonde woman walking into the kitchen. She paused and looked around the room before her eyes landed on Edward. She smiled widely and walked briskly towards him.

I chanced a glance at Edward and he looked stunned.

_What the fuck was going on?_

Blondie grasped Edward's face in her hands and planted her lips on his, kissing him forcefully.

_Oh no, she didn't. _

She was touching my man.

Withdrawing from him, she smiled sweetly and I read her lips as she said, "Hi Eddie. How are things?"

Possessiveness, in the form of anger and jealously, coursed through me.

"Yeah, Eddie, how are things?"

* * *

**A/N: So many of you guessed who the mole was. What ya'll think of Newton's POV?**

******Anyone know from which movie the last line is from?**

**Also, E & B talked a bit, met his parents, and met a Edward kissin' blonde. ***gasp*** who could that be?  
**

**I feed on reviews.**

* * *

**Here's a rec for you to check out.**

**_Forgive me my Love_ by twimom1960.**

**'Edward has a family crisis to deal with but will he lose Bella in the process?'**

**Check it out and leave her some love. It's a good one.**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: A special thanks to SunflowerFran for her awesome beta skills. Also to twimom1960 for pre-reading. You rock. **

**Thanks for reading and reviewing. You guys are the best. **

**ENJOY :)**

* * *

Chapter 11

EPOV

_"Yeah, Eddie. How are things?"_

I visibly cringed, hearing the disdain in Bella's voice.

What was _she_ doing here?

My mother stood by the door with her arms crossed over her chest and a disapproving look on her face. My father was trying to mask his smile behind a coffee mug.

Yeah, laugh it up, Dad.

Grabbing Irina's arm, I turned to Bella with what I hoped was an apologetic look on my face.

"I'll be right back, _Sweetheart_."

I emphasized 'Sweetheart', making sure Irina heard it and by the look on her face, she did. She scowled at me as I led her outside with force.

Nothing she can't handle.

The door closed behind us and Irina yanked her arm from my grasp, "What the fuck, Eddie?"

With my hands on my hips, I glared at her, "Exactly, Irina. What the fuck are you doing here?"

Her stance loosened and she smiled sweetly at me, rubbing my arm affectionately, "I have missed you, Eddie. It's been too long."

Now it was my turn to yank my arm from her. "First of all, stop calling me Eddie. You know I don't like it. And second, it hasn't been too long. You're the one that decided to end it."

Rubbing my chin between my pointer finger and thumb, I looked up to the sky as if in thought, "What was it that you said?"

Snapping my fingers, I fixed my glare on her, "Oh yeah, I remember … Something about wanting different things and not ready to settle down."

She toed the ground under her highheeled shoe, "That was a long time ago, Eddie. I've changed. I want you. I want what you want."

I snorted, "Great, because I've changed too." Pointing between us, I continued, "This ... Iraq, was a long time ago. It was sex, comfort in distress, nothing more. You know it I know it. You were on a case in the area; I helped you get in touch with the locals. When I wanted more, you left saying that Intelligence was your life and that you didn't have time for a relationship." I paused, smirking, "How is the CIA treating you?"

She leaned against the railing, "Where did you find her, Sweetheart? Nebraska?"

I grinned at her, "No, not Nebraska. And yes, Sweetheart." My grin turned into a glare, "Now tell me why you're here, interrupting my breakfast with my girlfriend and family."

Her entire posture changed to business. "I came here on business. We picked up some chatter about Mayor Tortuga's book..."

I held up my hand, appalled, "Hold on … What are you saying? Are you spying on us? What the fuck?"

"If you stop interrupting, I'll tell you." She was irritated.

I sighed and motioned for her to continue. I was sure I wouldn't like it.

"As I said, it was chatter on what the book contains, and no, we are not spying on you." She paused to gage my reaction and I nodded for her to continue. "Do you know what's in the book?"

"What's it to you?"

She sighed again, "Because it's much bigger then what you're expecting."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that it goes high up the chain. If you pursue this, it could be dangerous, very dangerous. Do you get that?"

I crossed my arms over my chest, "What are you saying? What do you know?"

She looked around the property, "I'm saying that you have been warned. I don't know much else, just that you should watch your back. Things could get rough very fast."

Irritated, I raised my voice a notch, "Irina, stop skirting the issue. What. Do. You. Know? Spit it out!"

She huffed, "All right. All I know is that someone in your office has been feeding info to someone in the Senate office. We don't know who, but that's why I need you to watch your back."

I nodded, keeping my face straight. She didn't have to know that I knew who the mole was. "Thanks, Irina." I heard cars coming up the driveway, "I think it would be best that you go."

Her eyes narrowed, assessing me, "You know who it is, don't you?"

I watched the cars appearing one by one in the driveway, not answering her.

"All right. You won't tell me, which is fine. Just be careful, Eddie. You've been warned." She kissed my cheek, climbed into her car and drove away.

I stood on the front porch watching each vehicle park, watching the Chief make his way towards me.

Shaking his hand, he asked, "Where's my daughter?" Behind him stood Alice, Jasper's wife, bouncing on her feet. I should have known Jasper would bring her. She was Bella's sister after all. To be honest, I wasn't ready to share her yet. We still needed to talk a bit more and I was anxious to 'make things up to her.' Thinking about our night in Chicago caused my dick to harden.

Focusing on her father, I told them that she was inside. They disappeared while my team stopped in front of me, minus Newton. It was a good thing, because I wasn't sure if I would control myself if I saw him. I wanted to give his face a makeover with my fist for putting Bella in danger.

Rose ruffled my hair welcoming me back, Jasper shook my hand like the professional he was and Emmett hooked his arm around my neck, kissing my cheek loudly.

"Welcome home, baby. You know we missed ya."

I shrugged his arm off my shoulder and slapped the back of his head, "Fucker."

He winced and rubbed the back of his head, looking hurt, "Don't have to be so mean about it, boss."

Rose was looking at Emmett with adoration and I knew there was something going on, while Jasper just shook his head and smiled.

"No worries, Em." I looked between them, "Where's Newton?"

Rose spoke up first, "I traced his credit card to Chicago. I don't know if he's back already since he turned off the GPS tracker on his phone. Also, the Chief knows about Newton and we've been brainstorming on how to go about things concerning his employment."

Crossing my arms over my chest, I urged her to go on.

"You're not gonna like it," she said, hesitantly. "If we let him know we're on to him, he can, or most likely would, run. So, we think it would be best to let it play out."

"Like fucking hell," I hollered at her.

Emmett stepped between us, putting a hand to my chest, stopping me from advancing, "Calm down, Cullen. Think before you continue."

Rose gripped Emmett's arm and I saw Jasper rising too. She continued, "We also spoke to the D.A. and she agreed. All we have are his travel itinerary and credit card tracking to link Newton to whoever is doing this. It's not enough to send him to prison. There's not much we can do except watch him and wait for him to make a mistake."

Sighing in defeat, I turned my back to them and gripped the railing, my mind spinning.

"There has to be something. Anything," I mumbled to myself. However, I knew they heard me.

"Edward, I'm sorry. I'm keeping tabs on his credit cards, cellphone, anything and everything. But I'm sure he has a burner phone. He wouldn't be that sloppy."

Turning around, I leaned on the railing, feeling exhausted. "This is Bella we're talking about. What if he gets to her? What if I'm not there to protect her? What if ..." I trailed off, feeling nauseous and helpless as the revolting images played through my mind.

Em's beefy hand clamped down on my shoulder and I saw Jasper rise off the railing, approaching me with a cautious look.

He knew, I could tell.

_Had I said too much?_

"You can't think like that, Ed. We'll get him. Rose is the best, and sooner or later, Newt's gonna mess up. He's too much of a prick not to." Em was a big-ass scary fucker, but underneath it all, he was a big cuddly teddy bear. Not many get to see that side of him. I could see why he and Rose fit so well together. Whereas she was soft-spoken and quiet, hiding behind a computer screen, he was loud and obnoxious, not to mention fiercely loyal and protective of the ones he loved.

I nodded, having heard him, but my eyes stayed on Jasper as he approached. Jasper was quiet but very, very observant. Not much got past him. I was lucky to have him on my team.

"Edward. Why are you so concerned about my sister-in-law?"

Damn him and his observation.

"What do you mean? I care about her well-being as a witness."

His head cocked to the side as he observed me squirming and Em stifled his laughter in Rose's shoulder.

"You know what I mean. You have never cared for a witness this way before."

I looked to Rose for help, but she just shook her head and smiled brightly.

I tried again, "She's the Chief's daughter. Of course, I care more about her than others. He would skin me alive if anything..."

Jasper interrupted loudly, "Quit with the bullshit, Cullen. What's going on?"

Sighing, I confessed. "All right. Something ... happened."

_What the fuck was happening to me? I am his superior._

_Then why do I feel like I'm being interrogated?_

Jas was quiet, watching my every movement. Em was bouncing on the heel of his feet, loving my discomfort. I just hoped Bella wasn't seeing this.

"She's ... I'm..."

_Why am I stuttering?_

"You love her," Em boomed.

"No. It's not like that." I glared at each one of them, "Let's get back to the subject at hand. Newton? The mayor's death? Why he was killed? The book we sent you?" I turned to Rose, "Did you figure out what those numbers mean? Where they came from? Who's behind all this? What did you find out?"

All three of them smirked at me, knowing that I was avoiding the obvious. I didn't fucking care. I hadn't even figured out what was happening between Bella and me. Did I wanna spend more time with her? Yes. She was beautiful, smart and funny. She hadn't run away after my nightmare. No, she had stayed and defined the entire experience with a few simple statements. Something a few years of sitting in a shrink's office hadn't done. And the way she said my name, made my heart pitter-patter in my chest.

She's my light.

Fuck, I sound like a girl, but it was true. Did that mean I loved her? I had no fucking clue. All I knew was that no other girl had ever made me feel like this.

Alive.

Protective.

Possessive even.

"Okay, I see you need to figure things out." She smiled, her pale blue eyes twinkling. "All those money transfers are what we figured from the beginning and I traced the origin to the destination. At least, I tried. It's being routed through a bunch of banks. Moscow, Zurich, Berlin, Montreal and the list goes on. Now, the mayor was getting ready for his Senate campaign and it looks like he did some digging into his fellow opponents. He was smart. Shame he was killed. He would have made a great Senator."

"What does all this mean?"

"It means that someone in the Senate office is funneling money." She paused briefly, "Edward, this goes high up. Lots of power, politics … a dangerous area. Are you sure you wanna do this? If the mayor's death is any indication, then whoever is behind all of this isn't afraid to kill."

"Rose we have to. They're not gonna stop until Bella, and mostly likely me are dead. We need to stop this. Are you any closer into finding out who in the Senate office is doing this?"

Thunder rolled in the distance.

A _storm_ was coming.

"My guess is Senator Volutri. The problem is we can't tie him to any of these crimes directly. He's got people doing his dirty work for him."

"Fuck. Get everything you can on him. There has to be something. Wire transfers? Emails? Anything?" I listed off each item on my fingers.

She nodded, "I'm already on it. It's just gonna take some time. The fewer people who know, the better."

Sighing, I nodded, running my hand through my hair, "All right, notify me when you have it." Turning, I reached for the doorknob, "Let's go meet my girl."

Em snickered.

_Fuck, did I just say that?_

XXXXXX

BPOV

It was so good to see my family again. We sat around the table as Esme busied herself with making food for everyone. The aroma of lasagna filled the air making my mouth water. Dad and Alice sat on either side of me, Alice holding my hand and Dad had his arm over the back of my chair, chatting away with Dr. Cullen.

Edward had come in with his friends a little while ago, the big one, Emmett, laughing at Edward about something. I knew Edward didn't like it, noting the frown on his face.

My eyes found Edward every few minutes wanting to ask him who the blonde was, but I was afraid if I left with Edward, my dad would not be very happy. Edward worked for Dad, after all. He smiled his crooked smile when my eyes met his again.

My hand clasped Alice's tighter as his words from this morning ran through my head.

'_I'm gonna make it up to you.'_

My skin tingled with anticipation. I remembered our night in Chicago well. How his body had moved with mine. How every touch had set my skin on fire, wanting more. How it had felt having him move inside me.

Alice squeezed my hand and raised her eyebrow at me. She extracted her hand from mine in order to sign, "You and Edward? Since when?"

I felt the heat in my cheeks and I quickly turned to see if dad had seen, but it seemed as if he was too wrapped up in the conversation he was having with Dr. Cullen.

Turning back to Alice, seeing the amused grin on her face, I replied, "Yes. No. I don't know."

I got up from my chair and went into the living room, Alice following. When I turned to face her, my eyes landed on Edward's concerned expression. He raised his eyebrow as if asking if I was okay. I just smiled and nodded my head.

"Bella, what happened? I've never seen you this frazzled about a boy. Well, man in this case," Alice signed after we had taken a seat on the plush couch.

I hated that she was so observant. With her and Jasper combined, nothing got past them. Although, where he was quiet and laid back, she was wild and straight forward. If she wanted to know, she'd ask. Jasper rather waited for you to confess. It was push and pull with these two. I loved my sister and brother-in-law.

I slowly confessed, "I slept with him."

I was sure Alice gasped loudly because every head in the kitchen turned our way. Great, an audience. She turned and said something that caused Esme to fly into the living room, concerned. I saw her say the word spider and I smiled at Alice.

While Esme fussed around the couches looking for the spider, Alice asked, "When?"

"Two nights ago, in Chicago."

Her smile was big and happy when she signed, "How was it? Why?"

I fingered a loose thread on my pants before I answered her, "It was fantastic after the pain went away." I contemplated my next answer. "Because I wanted it. Well, yeah, I wanted it, but I wanted him. He makes me feel..."

She interrupted, signing excitedly, "You love him!"

I shook my head frantically no, but I knew it was a lie and so did Alice. Esme stood slightly to the side observing us. When my eyes met hers, I saw the sympathy that I hated so much. Quickly averting my eyes, I found Edward's again. His smile was contagious and I smiled in return.

My mood took a turn for the worse after that. Esme's sympathy had more effect on me than I thought. Silently, I had been hoping that she would accept me for who I was. If she found out about Edward and me, she wouldn't like it, I was sure of that. I was the handicapped woman, clinging to her son.

After a delicious meal, Dad left with Rosalie and Emmett. Giving me hug, he made me promise to be careful. Emmett picked me up off the ground and twirled me in the air, causing me to giggle. Rosalie stood by and watched with a warm smile on her face. I saw the love reflected in both their eyes. She asked for my number, which I told her I didn't have one. She said she'd get me a phone and that we'd have lunch soon. I loved Edward's friends, which in turn made me love him more.

God, this was getting complicated. I loved him, but I was afraid of his mother's reaction towards us. Would she be able to accept it?

Dr. Cullen approached me by the front door after they had left. Jasper and Alice were still sitting at the table, their legs tangled and heads bowed together. Edward was in the kitchen, helping with the clean up. His frown told me what they were talking about.

I also caught what he was saying to her, "It's none of your business. And quite frankly, I'm appalled that you would think that way."

Her eyes turned sad, "All I want is the best for you."

Edward threw down the towel and steeled his mother with a heated glare, "What if she is the best for me? Huh? Can't you see that?"

I turned away, afraid of what he was gonna say next. Dr. Cullen guided me into the living room. His deep blue eyes were warm and friendly; his smile bright. I smiled in return, the noose around my heart loosening.

"With all the people here, we haven't gotten to know one another."

I smiled and he continued, "Bella, I see the way my son looks at you."

Here we go.

My smile fell and the noose tightened again.

Before I could say anything, Dr. Cullen continued, having seen my expression, "Bella, I'm so happy that you came into our lives. Edward has ..." He paused, looking for the right words. "He has this look about him. He's happy. I was wondering when or if I would ever see that in my son, but you did it. Thank you."

I smiled, not knowing what to say. Edward made me happy, too. Jasper and Alice joined us.

Dr. Cullen continued, "I know my wife doesn't see it yet, but she will. Edward is talking to her now." He grasped my hand, "Trust me, she'll come around. Now, sweetie, can you tell me how you lost your hearing?"

Deciding not to dwell on Esme, I told him the story I told Edward. Surprisingly, this time no tears came. I saw Alice wipe her eyes a few times. I knew this wasn't easy for her and I was glad she had Jasper.

Dr. Cullen was quiet after I finished, his face a frown and his fists clenching by his side. "First of all, I'm gonna tell you that your mother was wrong, and second, it was not your fault."

I felt someone sitting down beside me, and soon I felt familiar arms wrap around my stomach, dragging me closer to him. Looking over my shoulder, Edward nodded at me, smiling softly.

Turning back to Dr. Cullen, I saw Esme sitting beside him, her eyes red as she watched Edward's hands on me. Edward noticed when my body tensed and his thumb rubbed soothing circles on my stomach. Relaxing somewhat, I focused on Dr. Cullen.

"Did the doctors ever figure out what made you go deaf?"

I shook my head no.

"When was the last time you had your hearing checked?"

I thought back, "About fifteen years ago. Why?"

His eyebrows scrunched together, "Would you be interested in getting checked again? Doing some tests?"

I felt Edward move and I turned to watch him say, "Dad, what are you getting at?" His expression wasn't one of happiness.

Dr. Cullen simply smiled and said, "Calm down, Son. All I'm saying is that technology has come a long way. Maybe there is something that can be done." He turned to me, "Only if you want. There's no pressure."

I nodded, feeling overwhelmed.

Could it be possible?

Did I allow myself to hope?

That I would be able to hear Edward's voice, or his laugh.

Or my sister's voice, and Dad's.

To be able to hear the birds in the trees.

My mind was spinning when Jasper and Alice decided to leave. Now I wasn't sure. Did Edward want me to stay? Do I go with Alice?

Edward tugged on my hand and led me out back into the backyard. Dark clouds covered the skies. The air was thick with humidity and I could taste the rain in the air.

Edward turned, "I think you should go with your sister?"

My brows furrowed, "Why?"

His hand combed through his hair, "Because there are people looking for us. You're in danger."

I put my hands on my hips, "I get that. I haven't forgotten." I lifted the sleeve of my shirt and showed him the bandaged wound, "I'll always remember."

He grasped my arms, "I was there. Just trust me, okay? You would be safer with them."

"And what about you? Who's gonna protect you?"

The first raindrops were starting to fall. "I know how to take care of myself." His eyes blazed, "Why are you arguing with me on this?"

He turned, the rain falling heavier, coating the ground and us, our clothing. Water ran down my face, plastering my hair to my cheeks.

Edward's usual unruly hair was matted down, making him look like he ran five miles, sweating. His wet clothes clung to him, the muscles on his back expanding and retracting with each breath he took.

He was beautiful.

He drew in a huge sigh and kicked the grass in frustration, making me jump.

Something in me snapped.

"Because I love you, you stubborn fool!"

* * *

**A/N: Reviews are love! **

**I read, love and appreciate each review. Thank you! xoxo **


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